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Atari: You find yourself at the nearest Kiddie Arena, a little bit of nostalga coming back to you. The arena is not very big, concealed within a tent.

"Are you here for the Arena?" asked a man, stepping out from the tent opening. He continues talking once you nod your head. "Well it just so happens that we are having a little tournament, and you are just in time to sign up."

Not actually giving you a chance to say anything, he grabs your arm and pulls you in, Kurai following. He pulls you into a line of about eight other contestants.

"Okay we have our last competitor," says the man. "So let the tournament begin!"

The world around you began to spin and spin, everything becoming blurry. Suddenly then world stops and you find yourself on a battlefield, a small boy at the other end.

"Welcome to round one!" said the voice of the man from before, though he was nowhere to be seen, "Asuka VS Timothy one on one. Let the battle begin!"

The boy clips a ball off his belt and throws it onto the field. It opens up and a Deerling materialises.
What will you do?

OOC: Again, I apologize for taking so long with this. Second time typing it up from scratch... :<

As Asuka waltzed alongside Kurai past the empty food stands and game booths on her way to the Kiddie Arena, she couldn't help but feel a rush of memories flow through her. She thought about the experiences she had shared with her classmates on their field trips to similar places during elementary school. As she glanced around, she imagined the place was still alive and bursting with activity. But as a sudden gust of wind surrounded her, she realized what was once a popular destination is now eerily still and completely rid of life.

As Asuka approached the Kiddie Arena, she was taken by surprise as a man in carnival regalia stepped outside from between the tent's opening flaps. After affirming the man's question of where she was going, the man suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. "A tournament...?" Asuka's mind rushed through the thought of it. After only a few seconds inside, the man placed her in line with about eight other people. Immediately after she became accustomed to her immediate surroundings, the man announced all of the participants were in attendance and the tournament was ready to begin. Suddenly, Asuka quickly became dizzy and her world began spinning around her!

Almost to the verge of passing out, Asuka's vision began becoming clearer as she found herself already on the battle field in position. Bright lights beamed down on her as she gazed around and realized her current situation. Her opponent, apparently named Timothy, faced her on the opposite side of the field. He swiftly summoned a little Deerling. “Heh… Don’t think I’ll be going easy on you just ‘cause you’re a kid! This should be a total cinch,” Asuka thought to herself as she planned out her method of attack.

“Kurai!” Asuka bellowed out to gain Kurai’s attention, who was seemingly floating there gaining perspective of the situation they found themselves in. He perked his head up to signal to his trainer he was ready to receive commands. “First, use Confuse Ray to dull Deerling down a bit. Then, surround it with a bite of Icy Wind!”

Merry-Go-Round: Looks just like a normal Merry-Go-Round right? Think again. Take the trip of a lifetime, or maybe just your life, and see what mysteries lie within the maze beneath the Merry-Go-Round. Not such a fun-filled looking ride now is it?[/size]

“This is well sketchy.”
“Swiiineee… Uuuub….”

It was cold, and dark, like every other night-time, but it was like an invisible mist of doom hung in the air. With every slight gust, the limbs of long-abandoned theme park rides creaked, and in the distance, Alice swore she could hear voices. Her Pokemon, even in its tiny, basic form, was heavy like a rock, but the girl had insisted on carrying him in her gloved hands most of the way, shuddering from fear and from the wickedly low temperature.

She knew she wasn’t the only one visiting the park. Surely some had come for the memorial, which the teenager had briefly ventured over to, to pay her respects. But other, gutsier trainers had also travelled in to challenge the madness of the abandoned fairground, however they had all ran off to complete their own dares before she could whinge for them to accompany her.

“I used to love merry-go-round. I still do, to be honest,” The girl rambled to the bundle of fur in her arms, hoisting it up to try and manage his weight, “And I loved theme parks, and water parks, but I could never go to many. I’d so ride this thing if it still worked.” She ventured closer to admire the designs, which now had chipped paint and weathered handiwork: Ponyta, Rapidash, Taurus, Arcanine, even an Ursaring and Blastoise that was supposedly crouching. “We so need to catch an electric type or something. Give it a right jump start.” She joked, stepping onto the circle, “We could maybe use it for training or something, though, but I guess your strength isn’t enough to push this yet, huh?”

Merry-Go-Round: Looks just like a normal Merry-Go-Round right? Think again. Take the trip of a lifetime, or maybe just your life, and see what mysteries lie within the maze beneath the Merry-Go-Round. Not such a fun-filled looking ride now is it?

"Well this is....interesting," I told my Gothita, who at the moment was a little scared. The Merry-Go-Round had an ominous feel to it, with the dark clouds rolling in. It obviously frightened my poor Gothita. "We don't have to go on that, do we?" Gothita asked me in a frightened tone. She was referring to the big Merry-Go-Round in front of us. "No, we're not going on it, we're just looking for some pokemon. We might find a ghost type, seeing as how this is a great place to pull a prank." I assured Gothita. "I don't want to be involved in their schemes. How do you even know they will try a prank?" Gothita asked me. "I've learned that ghost types are playful, but express it by pulling pranks. It's a trend I've noticed, so lets look around." I explained to Gothita. With that, we started circling the Merry-Go-Round, hoping to find something, or perhaps, someone.

Sorry Galaxy Eyes, but I am not accepting anymore people into the Phantom Isle at the moment.

Are you interested in joining a new and upcoming Pokemon RPG? Are you interesting in adventuring through a ruinous Kanjohto, slowly putting itself back together piece by piece? If so, feel free to join Wild Future today! (Unfortunately registration is required to see the forums)

I figure I basically am a ghost. I think we all are.

Welcome to Phantom Isle! I will be taking everyone who has yet to receive an update, which leaves me with 3 open slots remaining for now. Before we begin, I'd like to remind you all to have a link to your Fizzy Bubbles profile available every time you post, either in your signature or in the post itself, so that I can access your stats quickly and easily. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy your time here at the Haunted Theme Park... *Evil laugh*

mon1010- Scott and Shaana wander the Haunted Theme Park with some measure of apprehension; both trainer and Pokemon are attuned to the spooky atmopshere that pervades the park, from the abandoned stalls which seem to still echo softly with unearthly voices (or is it just the wind?) to the run-down food court the pair passes by which, for some odd reason, still carries the faint scent of cotton candy, and the feeling that someone... or something... is hiding behind a hot dog stand or brightly-colored table, ready to pop up at any moment. Scott wonders aloud to Shaana why he would even bother to come to a place like this, and Shaana does not seem to have an answer. Even so, the duo decides to make the best of an eerie, uneasy situation, and head for the House of Mirrors.

The entrance of the House of Mirrors displays a rather humorous poster of a Jynx who appears quite upset by her reflection, which is depicted as an overly chubby Snorlax with a Jynx wig and makeup waving back at her from the mirror. Another poster displays a small Machop flexing in front of the mirror, with a giant Machamp, in a similar pose, acting as his reflection. It seems obvious that before the Ghost Train incident and subsequent closure of the theme park, this attraction was supposed to be amusing and fun. The ticket booth is abandoned, and there appears to be no one collecting tickets at the door; however, the doors to the attraction are wide open, and a light appears to be on inside... Despite the unsettling aura that surrounds this place, Scott and Shaana walk inside, apprehensive of what might be waiting for them.

After walking down a short, mirrored corridor, the maze begins; the trip through the mirrors quickly becomes disorienting, as reflections upon reflections make it difficult to determine which path is real and which is merely a reflection; even so, despite the creepy aura of the park, this House of Mirrors does not seem special or out of the ordinary; perhaps it was not affected by the haunting. Soon, the pair come across a mirror which stretches their bodies to make them appear to be fat; Shaana looks particularly amusing, as her round form looks even rounder in the mirror, and she looks like a very overfed Munna. Scott, too, appears to have gained more than just a few pounds in his reflection. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, the reflections are good for a laugh.

The amusement is over quickly, however, as a piercing scream shoots through the Hall of Mirrors, startling both Scott and Shaana. Before the two can even react, however, the source of the scream becomes apparent; a teenaged girl with purple streaks in her jet-black hair and a purple bandana decorated with skulls runs toward the trainer and his Munna, a trembling Gulpin in her arms. She screams again when she sees you, startled by your presence at an otherwise-abandoned attraction, but quickly tries to compose herself again, adjusting her belt lined with Pokeballs and whispering something to the Gulpin, presumably to calm the big-mouth Pokemon down. She looks at Scott, fear still clearly in her eyes, and she asks, "Is... is something behind me?" There appears to be nothing there at the moment, but this girl seems pretty shaken...

How do you react?

gmoyes- Alex and his steel-type companions find themselves in a particularly creepy room, in a particularly creepy hotel, in a particularly creepy theme park. In their quest to find Pokemon to join their team without spending a great deal of money, they are willing to brave these unsettling conditions in hopes of finding a perfectly spooky new friend for Theta and Bronzor. Despite the darkness and gloom, the trio cast aside their fears and head toward the arcade games; though Alex admits to himself that he is not the best at pool, perhaps a video game would be a more entertaining pursuit.

The lights begin to flicker as Alex and his two steel types approach the back of the room. Lamps around the area begin to switch on, as one by one, each arcade game seems to burst to life, advertising action, adventure and fun with catchy theme songs, sounds of people punching each other and iconic retro gaming staples like the familiar sound of Pac-Man quickly eating dots before being horribly mutilated and murdered by gho- actually, best not to think about that one too hard while you're here.

As the entertainment room inexplicably seems to ressurect itself, it becomes immediately apparent that Alex is not the only one who has decided to try his luck at the entertainment room; in one of the far corners, formerly obscured by shadows, a young man with black hair and a red-and-white cap is leaning against the Pac-Man game and staring intensely at the screen of an old-school Game Boy, his fingers twitching with motion as he presses the system's buttons. You see that he's wearing green, fingerless gloves, jeans, black-and-white sneakers, and some kind of blue vest with a black shirt underneath. "Gotta catch 'em all, gotta be the effin' Master," He mutters under his breath, an eerie, obsessive tone in his young voice. His getup looks strangely familiar...

As you approach, the sound of a Pikachu crying out in warning hits Alex's ears, and he can barely make out the outline of the electric mouse Pokemon, who is still hiding in shadow. The young man looks up from his game; his face startles Alex, particularly since the teen's eyes have no pupils... They are completely white, and almost seem to glow. The young man's voice reverberates through the room when he asks Alex, "Hey, man... Ever think that life is nothing but a meaningless game?"

How do you react?

uhhhhh- Lost again! Connor and Gaspard wander through the park, searching fruitlessly for an exit. The cold night air is laden with the feeling that spirits are about; though they may not physically make their presence known, whispers in the wind and inexplicable motion in dark corners of the park suggest that there is something supernatural afoot in the area. Gaspard hides inside Connor's blue jacket for warmth, seeming grateful for his trainer's warm embrace. The little Aipom refuses to be recalled, despite the haunted feeling that surrounds the pair and Connor's concern for his safety; Gaspard likely acts out of the desire to protect his trainer and remain by his side, should any danger present itself. Connor definitely passed by The House of Mirrors at least twice before. It was almost as if their situation went beyond Connor's usual lack of direction, but the result of a strange force within the park that kept drawing them back to this particular attraction.

Connor comments on the rumors that the park is now run by spectral beings, and asks a question, both impractical and strangely practical regarding how the ghosts can afford to get these rides up and running again. After all, the maintenance of a park can be incredibly expensive, and without charging admission at the door, how can these ghosts afford to pay for all the expenses? More importantly, will there be opportunities for Connor to capture some shots of some interesting ghost-type Pokemon? Only time will tell.

Stepping into the House of Mirrors, Connor and Gaspard find themselves in a mirrored corridor. At the end of the corridor, a funny-looking old man wearing a tattered grey hat and grey suspenders stands with a handful of big, colorful balloons, his eyes fixed eerily on Connor and Gaspard. Something is odd about him, and Connor and Gaspard quickly realize that while the man has a reflection, his balloons do not appear to be reflected in any of the mirrors which line the corridor... He seems to be aware of your realization, and chuckles softly. His voice is unnaturally airy and soft, almost ethereal. "A strange little trick, isn't it? The kids used to love it. Spent hours trying to figure it out, they did. The parents, too. Always popped before they could figure it out." He smiles wistfully. "Perhaps you would like to take one on your way..." His free hand gestures toward the maze of mirrors at the end of the corridors as he says this. "On the house, of course... For old time's sake." He plucks a balloon from his bouquet, which appears to be the same shade of purple as Gaspard's fur, and reaches out to Connor with it.

How will you respond?

takkupanda- A man and his loyal Pokemon walk down a beautiful country road, the wind at their back and a warm, yellow sun guiding their path. The cheerful cries of Pidgey and Taillow add a delightful sense of music to the atmosphere. Though it initially seems as though the trainer, Marcelo, and his Growlithe named Broly are in for a day of warm weather and pleasant traveling, Broly senses something off the beaten path that darkens the seemingly sunshine-filled skies. Bounding forward, Marcelo has no choice but to follow his dear friend, running as fast as he can behind him. The pair run so fast that they do not take a careful look at their surroundings, as Marcelo focuses on his Pokemon and Broly focuses on the sense which pulls him inexplicably forward... Defying all logic and reason, the pair ends up on an island; when Marcelo looks behind him, the path is inexplicably gone. There is little time to think about this strange turn of events, however, as Broly seems convinced that there is a reason that the pair has been drawn here, as if pulled unnaturally through the fabric of space itself by fate.

The fearless Growlithe bounds through the near-deserted remains of Haunted Theme Park, his determination appearing as a burning speck of life amidst the remnants of death that surround him. Marcelo, on the other hand, follows behind with a considerably more hesitant, uncertain expression. The pair travel past the metal skeletons of rides and abandoned game booths; despite their deserted appearance, as Marcelo passes by, flashes of color and motion seem to play at the corners of his eyes, never meeting his gaze directly no matter how many times he turns around. Placing a great deal of trust in his Pokemon despite the haunted feeling of his environment, he allows the Growlithe to lead him to the veritable ground zero of Phantom Isle’s persistent, powerful haunting: the Ghost Train. As the pair approaches, a heavy sense of foreboding begins to weigh on both individuals, as if unearthly hands were pressing into their chests, reaching for their hearts. The atmosphere itself seems laden with emotion; the intense sadness, the loss, the anger, the helpless shouting at Arceus, Giratina, whatever god would listen- the feelings that erupted from this site so many years ago seem to remain, corpselike, suspended in the stillness that surrounds them. That stillness is suddenly broken by an old recording echoing from long-defunct speakers, which starts up as the pair approach, as if motion-sensitive. An eerie voice advertises the attraction, sputtering and stammering: “TAKE A R-R-RIDE ON THE GHO-GHO-GHOOOST TRAIN!! KIDS OF – KIDS OF – KIDS OF ALLLLL AGES WELCOME! REMEMBER TO-“ The recording cuts off as suddenly as it began, presumably as a result of age and lack of use.

The Growlithe, Broly, approaches the tracks, undeterred by the eerie recording. The nearest station is a considerable distance away, and the infamous crash appears to be nowhere in sight. Locating a station by foot would likely take a bit of walking. Nearby, a painted sign, complete with an adorable Mantine, faces the tracks with its bright colors and eye-catching illustrations of what appears to be a former park ride. The giant, dark-blue letters across the top encourage passengers riding by to EXPERIENCE MANTINE MANIA!! The Mantine’s eyes are unnaturally shiny, and seem to be watching the pair as they investigate the tracks. Marcelo notices that the eyes are following Broly, but when the trainer gets closer to the sign to investigate, the effect seems to stop. Perhaps it’s only his nerves playing games with his mind…

Broly sniffs the ground for any signs of life or danger; immediately, his ears perk up, as he rushes towards what appears to be an interesting sound. Marcelo follows Broly down the tracks, anxious to see what his Growlithe has discovered. Eventually, Marcelo’s ears become attuned to what Broly must have heard; a soft weeping noise seems to be coming from farther down the tracks. It isn’t long after the sound becomes apparent to Marcelo that its source becomes apparent, as well; Broly stops short in front of a Pokemon sitting by the tracks. You identify the small creature as a Yamask, who appears to be staring at its mask and weeping. As you approach, you get a better glimpse of the tear-stained mask into which the Yamask is crying; the face appears to be that of a girl, no older than 6 or so, who stares back up at the Yamask with an innocent, carefree smile. The Yamask startles when she realizes that she is not alone, though after a second or so, the Yamask sniffles and reaches out cautiously towards Broly with her little, ghostly hand… It seems as if she’s hoping that the fuzzy-looking puppy might let her pet him.

How do you respond?

Tman109er- After scanning the Amusement Park Attractions Guide posted at the entrance for inspiration, Tyler and his Starly, Jordan, have decided to test their bravery at one of the few rides that inspired fear in those who approached it even before the Ghost Train disaster: Rollerquaza. Following the path depicted on the map, the pair find themselves in front of the ominous rollercoster; the eyes on the Rayquaza head are so lifelike that they might blink at any second, despite the state of disrepair in which the ride has fallen. Passing by a tall sign depicting minimum height requirements for the Rayquaza ride, Tyler easily clears the bar, though his tiny Starly does not. The sign advises that Pokemon who do not meet the requirement will need to remain in their Pokeballs for the entire duration of the ride. Tyler makes a mental note of this as they continue forward.

A sign covered in images of Rayquaza advertises a current waiting time of 1 hour, 10 minutes; presumably, the estimation comes from the actual day of the events, back when the Rollerquaza attracted trainers and families from all over Fizzytopia, and indeed, from around the world. As Tyler and Starly make their way through staircases, winding lines and even a tunnel painted to look like Rayquaza, the pair quickly find out that their waiting time will be considerably less, as no one seems to be waiting to get on this hazardous abandoned ride. As the two approach the end of the long passageways where lines of people used to wait, the sound of gears turning and mechanical parts groaning to life startle Tyler and Jordan, as the Rollerquaza ride seems to be making its way to the entrance... It seems as if someone knows that you are here and is expecting you. Sure enough, as the trainer and his Pokemon approach the ride, a person in a Rayquaza costume, complete with giant Rayquaza head and a tail that trails past his legs and coils up on the floor, appears to be operating the ride. No doubt about it, this being is creepy, even beyond normal mascot levels; in fact, where Tyler expect to see the sillohette of the face inside of the open mesh Rayquaza mouth, there appears to be nothing at all. Perhaps the mesh is particularly thick, preventing individuals from seeing the fact that there is a person inside.

The "Rayquaza" points to the Starly wordlessly, as if indicating to Tyler that he will need to recall the bird before stepping on the ride. The ride itself, looking at it close-up, certainly has gotten on in years, and doesn't look particularly safe. In fact, the aura surrounding the Rollerquaza cars is downright scary. A sign above the tracks advises that it is not too late to turn back. Certainly, the sign's wisdom is true even now. That said, one never knows what rewards may come out of such a risky situation.

How will you react?

Meetan- The chilly cloak of night which engulfs the Haunted Theme Park is certainly beyond the scope of typical darkness... Indeed, the starry mantle which Haunted Theme Park so proudly wears is thick with foreboding - the presence of spirits makes the air so heavy that it almost chokes the trainers who pass through it. Alice and her adoring Swinub are acutely aware of the nature of their surroundings, sensing doom deep within their bones. Though other trainers run off to either pay their respects or to prove their bravery, Alice seems to always be one step behind them.

The Merry-Go-Round provides feelings of nostalgia for Alice, who approaches the weathered carousel Pokemon and muses that an electric Pokemon might help start up the ride. She also considers the possibility of having Swinub push, though the ride would certainly be too heavy for the cute little pig-nosed Pokemon to push. "I'm thinkin' that won't be necessary," a female voice with a Southern drawl responds from somewhere behind Alice. The whirring of mechanics accompanies the voice; perhaps it belongs to some type of Park Robot, like the talking Trubbish garbage containers that used to be such a hit in the park back in its hayday. Turning around, Alice comes face to face with the glowing red eyes of a Merry-Go-Round Rapidash, which is staring directly at Alice. Its jaw opens and shuts as the voice emanates from its plastic body; "Hop on, ma'am. Y'can bring yer little fuzzball with you. A pretty young thang like you won't weigh much. We can riiiiiide like the wind! YEE-HAW!" The mechanical horse whinnies, though the sound is less like a horse and more like a horrifying screech. In fact, the voice in general is incredibly unnerving, and Alice wonders how the Rapidash is able to address her and Swinub so personally... Perhaps someone was operating the ride from a distance, but who?

"C'mon, darlin', don't be shy." The Rapidash nods its head, as if encouraging Alice to come and take a ride. Will she trust this mechanical fire horse, or will she decide on a different course of action?

GalaxyEyes- You and your Gothita have decided to go looking for some ghost-type Pokemon around the merry-go-round. It is clear that the two of you share a very strong and special bond, considering that you are able to carry a conversation telepathically as the search commences. The two of you acknowledge the ominous nature of the merry-go-round. Looking at the ride, what once were adorable depictions of friendly Pokemon such as Ponyta, Rapidash and Zebstrika now appear more like the pale horses of the apocolypse; with formerly colorful paint now faded, staring at you with glossy, dead eyes, there is certainly something about them that doesn't scream "family friendly". Perhaps going on the ride itself is not advisable. Even so, you are aware that ghost types are typically depicted as playful pranksters who love a good joke at the expense of others and you search around this particular ride thinking this might be a good place to look out for tricksters who might try pulling some kind of ghostly prank around the attraction.

As you wander, you notice a pair of eyes staring at you from the shadows beneath the attraction... Looking closer, the cloth face of a Shuppet can be seen lurking in the darkness, watching you and your Pokemon seemingly walk in circles. Distracted by the little ghost, you don't notice the bucket hovering above your head until it dumps water all over you and Gothita! You turn around immediately, only to have a whipped-cream pie flung right in your face. Out of the corner of your eye, a camera is flashing; it seems as if the ghost are taking pictures of your misery. As you wipe the whipped cream from your eyes, you notice that Gothita has had a miniature version of the pie shoved into her face, and the ghosts who drenched and pied both of you seem to have disappeared, though their laughter still hangs thick in the air. The bucket crashes to the ground beside you, and you cannot seem to find the location of the camera that was previously capturing your somewhat humiliating circumstance.
The Shuppet who distracted you in the first place is also laughing, and floats out from underneath the ride to get a better look at you and Gothita. It seems thoroughly entertained by your pie-covered faces and sopping wet clothes.

Despite the lack of human activity in the park during its closure, it seems those from the realm of the dead are quite active in these parts. All of the popular rides remain the same as they were prior to the ghost train event, but over time they seem to have become populated by very unsavoury characters in the form of spectres, poltergeists, and even some of the more mischievous Pokémon who want to manipulate anyone brave enough to enter such a place. If you dare to venture here, you'd best have your wits about you.

Mantine Mania: A water-based ride with a twist, not only do you ride through what used to be the serene decorative gardens, there is a waterfall drop and even an underwater segment. Pokémon are rumoured to live in the water and the various surroundings, but if you plan on leaving the ride be wary of getting lost in the now-jungle-like gardens as it could prove to be a very dangerous trek.

"Okay, this place is creepy."

Tuner wanders into the park, with an uneasy feeling. His trusty companion, Phantom, by his side. After wandering through the park for several minutes, Tuner reaches his destination, an old water ride, the Mantine Mania.
"Alright Phantom, this is it! I've heard rumors of lots of neat pokemon around this ride, this should be a piece of cake for you and-" At this moment, Tuner realizes he's talking to himself. Panicked, he swings himself around, to find Phantom right behind him, yelling a loud "SKULL!" as his location is revealed.

"Phantom! Don't scare me like that! This place is giving me the creeps enough without you playing around! Hopefully you can help guide me here, Phantom, assuming we can get passed all of your shenanigans... "Du- Duskull!" Phantom laughs as the two adventurers begin their journey, and pass under the large sign that was once the beginning of the line for Mantine Mania...

For several decades this remote theme park was a popular tourist attraction for people of all ages. Starting as a small fairground it was built into the land's largest and most sought after family holiday destination, the entire island eventually converted into one enormous theme park incorporating hundreds of rides, entertainment venues, and showcases. Contests were held, friendly trainer battles took place, children were even allowed to hire Pokémon for the day to either keep them company or to battle with in special kiddie events. When the park became so popular that families wished to stay longer than a single day in order to experience everything there was to offer, a grand hotel was built offering special and affordable deals for families and trainers alike. Then one day, several years ago and during the height of the theme park's popularity, a devastating fire on the Ghost Train responsible for the deaths of several adults, trainers, and dozens of children, closed the fairground to the public. Reconstruction work began immediately, but after many unexplained happenings involving serious injury, and in a few cases the death of construction workers, the repairs were put on hold. The spooky events continued long after, with many curious trespassers, as well as the security guards hired to keep them away, disappearing, never to be seen again, or turning up on the mainland frightened out of their wits with no memory of why, or of how they got there. Any and all attempts at reconstruction have since failed, leaving the theme park shrouded in an aura of darkness and mystery. As a result very few dared to venture here, the stench of death and misery allowing the theme park to become a breeding ground for the darker side of the Pokémon world. As supernatural activity in the deserted park increased, a strange purple haze began to appear until eventually the entire island was surrounded by it resulting in a permanent state of darkness shrouding it as natural light was unable to properly filter through. This of course deterred even more people from approaching the area as they deemed it far too dangerous. In recent weeks, however, some rather bizarre events are rumoured to be taking place, and as word spreads of the park once again being open, only now run by ghosts, the theme park has been renamed "The Phantom Isle". Now, some of the more daring adventurers in the land have been contemplating returning to the park to discover for themselves if there is indeed any truth to these amazing stories.

The Park

Despite the lack of human activity in the park during its closure, it seems those from the realm of the dead are quite active in these parts. All of the popular rides remain the same as they were prior to the ghost train event, but over time they seem to have become populated by very unsavoury characters in the form of spectres, poltergeists, and even some of the more mischievous Pokémon who want to manipulate anyone brave enough to enter such a place. If you dare to venture here, you'd best have your wits about you.

Areas:

Mantine Mania: A water-based ride with a twist, not only do you ride through what used to be the serene decorative gardens, there is a waterfall drop and even an underwater segment. Pokémon are rumoured to live in the water and the various surroundings, but if you plan on leaving the ride be wary of getting lost in the now-jungle-like gardens as it could prove to be a very dangerous trek.

Phantom Isle. What used to be a grand amusement park has now become a haunt for many a restless spirit ever since the Ghost Train Fire years and years ago. And it was this abandoned park that attracted the likes of Hyrem, Sera, his Ralts who kept somewhat of a vigilant watch from the safety of his shoulder, and Daphne, the ever mischievous Seedot in his arms. Sera could sense the emotions of the spirits wandering throughout the park all too easily, and waves of purple coursed through Hyrem's mind.

He was about as afraid as Sera was, but he wasn't about to let this deter him. Somewhere in this park, he felt, was someone, something, whether long since passed or still breathing, waiting for him to come, and fate decided to oblige the events leading up to this chance meeting of sorts. Of course, Hyrem had no idea what he might "meet", though he had a wide range of imaginations. He hoped the turn of events about to play out would result in a brand new friend.

Daphne had a completely different mindset. She saw water, she saw plants, and she jumped out of Hyrem's arms to make a Beedrill-line straight for the lush vegetation... which was rampant at the attraction known as Mantine Mania. "Daphne, stop!" yelled her trainer as he chased after her (Sera, fortunately, was able to cling tight enough to his shoulder so she didn't fall off) and caught up just outside the entrance to the ride. "You shouldn't go... running off... like that..." he scolded as he was catching his breath. "'Specially here..." Then he looked, saw all the plants and water and realized why his Seedot ran over here. Once he caught his breath, he asked Daphne, "So, you want to look around here?"

"Seed! Seedot dot!" was the gleeful reply.

"Ralts." his other Pokemon said as she shrugged, simply okay with the idea.

"OK, then!" he said as he scooped up Daphne back into his arms and entered the attraction hoping it wouldn't be too dangerous and actually be as fun as it used to be.

Last edited by Dark Searchman; 13th May 2012 at 11:57 PM.
Reason: Edited nicknames into the post.

For several decades this remote theme park was a popular tourist attraction for people of all ages. Starting as a small fairground it was built into the land's largest and most sought after family holiday destination, the entire island eventually converted into one enormous theme park incorporating hundreds of rides, entertainment venues, and showcases. Contests were held, friendly trainer battles took place, children were even allowed to hire Pokémon for the day to either keep them company or to battle with in special kiddie events. When the park became so popular that families wished to stay longer than a single day in order to experience everything there was to offer, a grand hotel was built offering special and affordable deals for families and trainers alike. Then one day, several years ago and during the height of the theme park's popularity, a devastating fire on the Ghost Train responsible for the deaths of several adults, trainers, and dozens of children, closed the fairground to the public. Reconstruction work began immediately, but after many unexplained happenings involving serious injury, and in a few cases the death of construction workers, the repairs were put on hold. The spooky events continued long after, with many curious trespassers, as well as the security guards hired to keep them away, disappearing, never to be seen again, or turning up on the mainland frightened out of their wits with no memory of why, or of how they got there. Any and all attempts at reconstruction have since failed, leaving the theme park shrouded in an aura of darkness and mystery. As a result very few dared to venture here, the stench of death and misery allowing the theme park to become a breeding ground for the darker side of the Pokémon world. As supernatural activity in the deserted park increased, a strange purple haze began to appear until eventually the entire island was surrounded by it resulting in a permanent state of darkness shrouding it as natural light was unable to properly filter through. This of course deterred even more people from approaching the area as they deemed it far too dangerous. In recent weeks, however, some rather bizarre events are rumoured to be taking place, and as word spreads of the park once again being open, only now run by ghosts, the theme park has been renamed "The Phantom Isle". Now, some of the more daring adventurers in the land have been contemplating returning to the park to discover for themselves if there is indeed any truth to these amazing stories.

The Hotel

Situated at the back of the theme park is a grand hotel where guests and their Pokémon stayed whilst visiting. The ground floor has the usual areas such as lobby, restaurant, boutique, and entertainment room, while the downstairs levels house a storeroom and very special casino for its patrons. The hotel is still very active but its guests are far different than you might be used to encountering. The eight upper floors containing the suites are more often than not inhabited by spirits, some being those who perished in the fateful incident that closed the park. Some are restless not realising they are dead, and some are harmless, while others are not. Wander around the hotel and you may find more than you'd bargained for.

Areas:The Lobby: Upon entering the hotel's main doors, you reach a marble-floored lobby with a check-in desk and huge chandeliers that flicker ominously. Behind the desk lies most of the keys to the various hotels rooms, but an unseen power prevents you from taking more than one at a time. A lone elevator sits at one end, leading up to the rest of the rooms or down to the storeroom and casino.

A cold wind blew from behind the scientist, eliciting a reflexive shiver down his spine. Shadow had dealt with chills before, but despite his encounter in the frigid regions of Volcanic Mountain, he had never gotten used to colder temperatures, and this time he was feeling chilled for different reasons. The team had journeyed to the Haunted Mansion once, but that was merely a courtesy call for one of their acquaintances. Sure, Grim the Dusknoir was the commander of the sector, but dealing with a zone rumoured to be filled with supernatural activity... Shadow hoped he could handle things. Having come close to losing operatives on half his journeys made him determined not to put the team at unnecessary risk, in spite of the thirst of adventure.

Ominous caws sounded in his left ear, accompanied by the odd brush of feathers flapping against his skin. Almost like a Baltoy, the scientist's shoulders were occupied by two perched weights in balance. Scherza, the origin of eerie ambience sat on his left; mimicking the cheesy cliche of horror movies that Dahlia refused to reciprocate. The oranged Murkrow moodily brooded on Shadow's right, all too familiar with the supernatural themes that had robbed her of her violently purple lustre. The Chatot opposite her was either too kind, too unfazed or too oblivious to account for her mood and continued to squawk. On the plus side, at least with this pair no one would be causing any trouble since Dahlia wasn't tearing at Scherza's throat.

This left Shadow to cautiously approach the opulent, but nevertheless creepy Phantom Isle hotel, and reach for the doors to the lobby and what lay within...

Son of Shadows: Bishop nods, his eyes starting to glow, and immediately the world around him lights up. The Hoothoot looks around, his eyes focusing on every little detail that couldn’t be seen by the naked eye. And once his vision was focused, the little owl started to freak out, squawking and squealing in fear. You grab a hold of Bishop, trying to calm him down; when your eyes glow as well. And you see what freaked Bishop out. Floating around you and your Hoothoot are what appear to be the ghosts of slain children. And they look slain, each of them is slightly transparent, their skin sagging down. And each of them bears the injuries from their deaths, a couple are holding their heads in their arms, a couple have large gaping holes in their chests and other miscellaneous injuries.

He sees us hisses a girl, her arms and legs twisted in a way that is definitely not natural.

He does hisses a boy, the top half of his body separate to the bottom half of his body.

The dead children all start to hiss their acknowledgement of you seeing them, and begin closing in on you and Bishop.

What will you do?

CyberBlastoise: The woman gives you a look of confusion.

“What are you talking about?” she asks, “The sixth floor is definitely not missing. I’ll show you.”

She grabs your arm and pulls you towards the staircase, and this woman is much stronger than she appears to be. She starts to climb the stairs and you follow her, wondering where you would end up. Walking to the top of the stairs, you look across and see a sign that says ‘Floor 6’.

“See I told you that there was a sixth floor,” says the woman, “I have no idea what you are going about the floor being missing.”

Something is definitely not right about this, but this is definitely the sixth floor, and it definitely isn’t missing. Rather dejectedly you and Gold make your way out of the hotel, and when you step onto the first floor you take a look at the front desk. And freeze in your steps. Sitting there on the desk is a card with the date printed on it, Friday the 17th of February, 1984! And then another realisation hits you. You hadn’t really paid attention to what the woman had been wearing but now that you think about it, but the clothing that she had been wearing had been ever so slightly outdated.

What will you do?

Trainer Andy: Picking Surf, with the hopeful thought that it doesn’t involve being recklessly thrown through the air or under water; you walk over the Mantine in the Surf tunnel. You hop into the ride, hoping that you don’t end up dead. It slowly comes to life, the mechanical Mantine edging down the slide, and suddenly it bursts into life. Your vision becomes black as you enter deeper into the tunnel, all sources of light now gone. However, you can feel the ride getting faster and faster, the rushing air howling in your ears. It gets faster and faster and faster, with no signs of slowing down, which is an incredibly horrifying prospect. Travelling down the tunnel, a large patch of light started to appear… and it appeared to be coming from the bottom of it. This was not going to end well. The mechanical Mantine shoots through the hole, slamming into a concrete floor. It slides along, a loud screeching noise accompanying it, only stopping when it runs into a concrete pillar. Shaken, but thankfully not hurt, you pry yourself out of the now trashed ride and survey your surroundings. You are now in another tunnel, the difference being that this tunnel is rather large, which it would need to be to also hold the ride’s tunnel. The entire thing is made completely of concrete, and there are several openings, interestingly each of them has a label on the top of them, reading ‘Cut’, ‘Rock Smash’, ‘Rock Climb’ and ‘Strength’.

What will you do?

myahoo: The Fortune Teller looks at you for a couple of seconds, well she more stares at you in a creepy manner, as if she was processing your request.

“So you wish to seek an adventure, and maybe a new partner?” she asked, “Well let’s see what the ball has to say.”

The Fortune Teller places her hands on the crystal ball at the centre of the table, and moves her hands around for a little bit. Suddenly she throws her head back, the tent somehow darkening. She opens here eyes, and now they are glowing dark purple.

"Your adventure is going to a long and arduous one," she announced, her voice dropping several octaves, "You will meet many pokemon on your journey, some tougher than the others. And it all starts here!"

There is a loud bang and the crystal ball explodes. Ducking for cover, you look back up and see that where the fortune teller once was, there is now a large pulsating purple portal.

What will you do?

Missingo Master: Skuntank focuses herself, getting herself ready for the battle with Haunter. The ghost type chuckles and flies forward, its left hand glowing bright white. It punched forward, and Skuntank was thrown backwards by the Secret Power. Picking herself up, Skuntank snarles at the ghost and screeches as loud as she can at her opponent. Haunter winces at the assault on its ears, comically shoving its hands into said ears before pulling them out and raising them to the sky. There is a rumbling noise, and before Skuntank has even a chance to raise her head a large Thunderbolt bursts down from the sky. She screams in pain as she is electrocuted, Haunter laughing at its opponent's misery. Letting out a grunt, Skuntank took a couple of deep breaths before launching herself at Haunter, her mouth wide open. She rammed into Haunter, Crunching down hard on its face. It lets out a squeal of pain and throws Skuntank off with another Secret Power.

What will you do?

Rotom310: You look on in horror as Salazar fires off a Poison Sting at the floating man. He lets out a deep chuckle and throws his arms forward. The fireballs burn through the Poison Sting, and continue straight towards Salazar. Your partner jumps out of the way, just managing to be seared into oblivion.

"I said leave!" the man thundered.

He roared and his entire body went up in flames, the hallway starting to become incredibly hot. You back away, and turn to run away when you realise that the man is between you and the way down. Crap. What on earth are you going to do to get out of this. Well the answer to that comes to you in the way of a giant man crashing through the wall. The man barrels into the floating one, and considering that he doesn't go right through him, you guess that he isn't a ghost afterall.

"Come on!" someone suddenly yells at you.

You turn your attention towards the giant hole in the hallway and see a... bright red woman. She motions for you to go with her, but you did have your reservations. Because you know, she seems to have something to do with the man who threatened you... and because she is literally bright red.

"Can't say that I have either, well apart from myself obviously," he replies, contemplating for a couple of seconds. "But there may be someone who might have."

Well this certainly peaks your interest. Noticing this, Volcanus continues, "Nearby there is an old Arcanine who is said to know who everyone within her domain is, and where they are at any given time. Personally I have never seen her do anything like that, but then again, I have never needed her services. But maybe, just maybe she can help you find your Vulpix."

Well that surely was helpful, possibly a little too helpful actually, but you can't tell whether or not you should be suspiscious.

What will you do?

Centin: The old man looks at your Whiscash and back at you with a somewhat confused look on his face.

"I do not mean to do anything funny," he said, "But to warn you. There is something not right with that Ferris Wheel. Countless times, I have seen people hop on for a fun little ride, only to never see them again. No one is ever seen working here, but as you can tell this ride is still fully operational."

He walks over to the ticket booth, your Whiscash not taking his eyes off the old man as he did so.

"Earlier this morning, this sign was hanging on the booth. Not that long ago the sign suddenly said that it was out of order and not running. Now it is back to the first sign again. Something is horribly not right about this ride. Please, I beg of you, do not get on this Ferris Wheel."

The old man is starting to sound a little bit freaking out of his mind. There doesn't appear to be anything sinister about the ride. Hell, the old man's age has probably started to get to him.

What will you do?
Atari: Kurai faces the Deerling, and jumps into action. He waves his little stubby arms and fires off a Ray of light, his intent to Confusethe little deer. Deerling let out a little... whatever noise a deer makes, and a Protective barrier materialises, making Kurai's attack ineffective. Not letting that deter him, the ghost type raises his arms to the high heavens as a small breeze starts to pick up. The temperature in the arena begins to drop, adn the breeze turns into a harsh wind. The little deer is battered by the wind, letting out a cry of pain. The wind suddenly drops and Deerling rights itself before leaping forward, slamming into Kurai with a Faint Attack. Kurai is thrown backwards, sliding along the ground. The Duskull picks himself up, and both he and the Deerling still have a lot of fight left in them.

Trainer Andy: Picking Surf, with the hopeful thought that it doesn’t involve being recklessly thrown through the air or under water; you walk over the Mantine in the Surf tunnel. You hop into the ride, hoping that you don’t end up dead. It slowly comes to life, the mechanical Mantine edging down the slide, and suddenly it bursts into life. Your vision becomes black as you enter deeper into the tunnel, all sources of light now gone. However, you can feel the ride getting faster and faster, the rushing air howling in your ears. It gets faster and faster and faster, with no signs of slowing down, which is an incredibly horrifying prospect. Travelling down the tunnel, a large patch of light started to appear… and it appeared to be coming from the bottom of it. This was not going to end well. The mechanical Mantine shoots through the hole, slamming into a concrete floor. It slides along, a loud screeching noise accompanying it, only stopping when it runs into a concrete pillar. Shaken, but thankfully not hurt, you pry yourself out of the now trashed ride and survey your surroundings. You are now in another tunnel, the difference being that this tunnel is rather large, which it would need to be to also hold the ride’s tunnel. The entire thing is made completely of concrete, and there are several openings, interestingly each of them has a label on the top of them, reading ‘Cut’, ‘Rock Smash’, ‘Rock Climb’ and ‘Strength’.

What will you do?

Heart pounding, head throbbing, Andy pulls himself from the wreckage of the runaway Mantine before collapsing to the ground in a manner more befitting to a newborn lamb. He squeezes his eyes tightly shut, taking a moment to calm himself and let the room stop spinning.

"If I make it out of here alive," Andy muttered to himself, "I am never... ever... going to a theme park again."

As the haze cleared and his surroundings stilled Andy pulled himself shakily back to his feet and surveyed the area.
"So where the hell am I know?" He asked himself as he walked down the tunnel. The light was dim but there was enough to see where he was going, without risking tripping over something and ending up back on the floor again. As he walked he noticed the walls on either side seemed to open up, leading to new passageways, and on closer investigation noticed that each passage was labelled, just like the one that had led him down here in the first place.

"Lets see here... Cut, Rock Smash, Rock Climb, Strength..." Andy said, reading the labels above the openings out loud, "Looks like i'm gonna have to go down one, but these names are even more vague than the last ones." He sighed and looked over the names again, trying to build a picture in his head of what to expect in each one. "Cut" brought images of sharp blades swinging toward himself, whilst "Rock Smash" made him think of huge boulder falling down on top of him, neither made him want to head in those directions, so he turned his attention to the remaining two.

"Why can't they just be labelled "Instant Death" or "Gruesome Dismemberment"?" Andy noted wryly, "at least then i'd know what i'm letting myself in for. But i'm no good at climbing, it that's what i'm thinking that room entails, so it seems i'm left with only one option."

Composing himself as best he can Andy cautiously steps through the opening marked "Strength" and into the unknown.

Missingo Master: Skuntank focuses herself, getting herself ready for the battle with Haunter. The ghost type chuckles and flies forward, its left hand glowing bright white. It punched forward, and Skuntank was thrown backwards by the Secret Power. Picking herself up, Skuntank snarles at the ghost and screeches as loud as she can at her opponent. Haunter winces at the assault on its ears, comically shoving its hands into said ears before pulling them out and raising them to the sky. There is a rumbling noise, and before Skuntank has even a chance to raise her head a large Thunderbolt bursts down from the sky. She screams in pain as she is electrocuted, Haunter laughing at its opponent's misery. Letting out a grunt, Skuntank took a couple of deep breaths before launching herself at Haunter, her mouth wide open. She rammed into Haunter, Crunching down hard on its face. It lets out a squeal of pain and throws Skuntank off with another Secret Power.

What will you do?

Missingno. Master sized up the situation. Skuntank still seemed ready to fight, though Haunter hadn't taken that much damage either. He considered the many moves Skuntank could use, and decided in the end that the best bet was to try and hinder Haunter's attacking capabilities somehow. Confusing it seemed to be the best option- Haunter wouldn't be able to attack as efficiently as usual while confused, and thus Skuntank might be able to land more blows while not taking as much damage herself.

"Skuntank, go!" Missingno. Master called out. "Use Sweet Kiss to confuse Haunter, then follow up with as many Shadow Claw attacks as you can muster. If at any point Haunter forces you out of range with an attack, fight back with Fire Spin!"

Skuntank nodded her understanding of these orders and turned to face Haunter, ready to carry them out.

Centin: The old man looks at your Whiscash and back at you with a somewhat confused look on his face.

"I do not mean to do anything funny," he said, "But to warn you. There is something not right with that Ferris Wheel. Countless times, I have seen people hop on for a fun little ride, only to never see them again. No one is ever seen working here, but as you can tell this ride is still fully operational."

He walks over to the ticket booth, your Whiscash not taking his eyes off the old man as he did so.

"Earlier this morning, this sign was hanging on the booth. Not that long ago the sign suddenly said that it was out of order and not running. Now it is back to the first sign again. Something is horribly not right about this ride. Please, I beg of you, do not get on this Ferris Wheel."

The old man is starting to sound a little bit freaking out of his mind. There doesn't appear to be anything sinister about the ride. Hell, the old man's age has probably started to get to him.

What will you do?

The trainer's whiscash's whiskers twitched as it looked at the old man heading towards the ticket booth, "Whiss, whiss". After hearing the ramblings of an old man, almost to the point of insanity, the trainer pointed to the booth, and proceeded to explain, "Of course. You said the sign said it was out of order, but now it's not. So the sign changed, big deal. Some guy must have had a toilet break and forgot to turn the lights off while he was unofficially loafing around. Tsk, cut him some slack."

"Whisch, whisch," his whiscash flopped around. "See, my whiscash does it too. Whenever we feel like taking a break, we take a break and won't come back till we're fully relieved," the trainer was actually trying to thwart and test the old man. Any sensible old man would agree, but any hysterical person wouldn't. "Now move aside so I can take a look at that sign. That is either a big evidence to this tell-tale, or a small souvenir you can keep," the trainer marched towards the ticket booth attempting to collect the sign, while his whiscash promptly followed its trainer, preparing to shoot out a Water Pulse if its trainer were to be unable to reach the sign up there.

mon1010- Scott and Shaana wander the Haunted Theme Park with some measure of apprehension; both trainer and Pokemon are attuned to the spooky atmopshere that pervades the park, from the abandoned stalls which seem to still echo softly with unearthly voices (or is it just the wind?) to the run-down food court the pair passes by which, for some odd reason, still carries the faint scent of cotton candy, and the feeling that someone... or something... is hiding behind a hot dog stand or brightly-colored table, ready to pop up at any moment. Scott wonders aloud to Shaana why he would even bother to come to a place like this, and Shaana does not seem to have an answer. Even so, the duo decides to make the best of an eerie, uneasy situation, and head for the House of Mirrors.

The entrance of the House of Mirrors displays a rather humorous poster of a Jynx who appears quite upset by her reflection, which is depicted as an overly chubby Snorlax with a Jynx wig and makeup waving back at her from the mirror. Another poster displays a small Machop flexing in front of the mirror, with a giant Machamp, in a similar pose, acting as his reflection. It seems obvious that before the Ghost Train incident and subsequent closure of the theme park, this attraction was supposed to be amusing and fun. The ticket booth is abandoned, and there appears to be no one collecting tickets at the door; however, the doors to the attraction are wide open, and a light appears to be on inside... Despite the unsettling aura that surrounds this place, Scott and Shaana walk inside, apprehensive of what might be waiting for them.

After walking down a short, mirrored corridor, the maze begins; the trip through the mirrors quickly becomes disorienting, as reflections upon reflections make it difficult to determine which path is real and which is merely a reflection; even so, despite the creepy aura of the park, this House of Mirrors does not seem special or out of the ordinary; perhaps it was not affected by the haunting. Soon, the pair come across a mirror which stretches their bodies to make them appear to be fat; Shaana looks particularly amusing, as her round form looks even rounder in the mirror, and she looks like a very overfed Munna. Scott, too, appears to have gained more than just a few pounds in his reflection. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, the reflections are good for a laugh.

The amusement is over quickly, however, as a piercing scream shoots through the Hall of Mirrors, startling both Scott and Shaana. Before the two can even react, however, the source of the scream becomes apparent; a teenaged girl with purple streaks in her jet-black hair and a purple bandana decorated with skulls runs toward the trainer and his Munna, a trembling Gulpin in her arms. She screams again when she sees you, startled by your presence at an otherwise-abandoned attraction, but quickly tries to compose herself again, adjusting her belt lined with Pokeballs and whispering something to the Gulpin, presumably to calm the big-mouth Pokemon down. She looks at Scott, fear still clearly in her eyes, and she asks, "Is... is something behind me?" There appears to be nothing there at the moment, but this girl seems pretty shaken...

How do you react?

The house seemed normal. Well, at least in comparison to the rest of this park anyway. The only thing odd about it was that the doors were open, and the lights were on, but no one was home. There wasn't even a guy taking tickets. Scott and Shaana look at each other for a second, and gulped loudly before slowly walking inside. Nervously anticipating what would be in store for them.

The inside of the place seemed as normal as a House of Mirrors could be anyway. All the mirrors made walking around disorienting, though. It was nearly impossible to navigate the place, as you couldn't really tell what was a passage, and what was a reflection, without crashing into a mirror. Which Scott had done, several times. Still, the place didn't seem all that creepy. Maybe this was one of the attractions that wasn't haunted?

Some of the mirrors were distorted, which altered how the images reflected in them looked. One made him and Shaana look like they had gained many pounds. He laughed while looking at their reflections. "Shaana you really need to stop eating random people's dreams. Your putting on weight." He said jokingly to his Pokemon. Shaana did not seem amused by his comment. Then he looked at his own. "And so have I!" This time, Shaana was the one giggling.

Then, the fun was interupted when the Dream Eating Pokemon and his trainer heard a loud scream, which made them jump. The source of the noise turned out to be a girl with an interesting hair color and carrying a Gulpin in her arms. After composing herself, she asked if there was anything behind her. There wasn't anything there, but she was clearly scared.

Scott wasn't expecting to find another person here. It also would seem like this place may not be immune to being haunted either. He answered as politely as he could. "Well, If there was, it isn't there now. Why? Is there something here?"

gmoyes- Alex and his steel-type companions find themselves in a particularly creepy room, in a particularly creepy hotel, in a particularly creepy theme park. In their quest to find Pokemon to join their team without spending a great deal of money, they are willing to brave these unsettling conditions in hopes of finding a perfectly spooky new friend for Theta and Bronzor. Despite the darkness and gloom, the trio cast aside their fears and head toward the arcade games; though Alex admits to himself that he is not the best at pool, perhaps a video game would be a more entertaining pursuit.

The lights begin to flicker as Alex and his two steel types approach the back of the room. Lamps around the area begin to switch on, as one by one, each arcade game seems to burst to life, advertising action, adventure and fun with catchy theme songs, sounds of people punching each other and iconic retro gaming staples like the familiar sound of Pac-Man quickly eating dots before being horribly mutilated and murdered by gho- actually, best not to think about that one too hard while you're here.

As the entertainment room inexplicably seems to ressurect itself, it becomes immediately apparent that Alex is not the only one who has decided to try his luck at the entertainment room; in one of the far corners, formerly obscured by shadows, a young man with black hair and a red-and-white cap is leaning against the Pac-Man game and staring intensely at the screen of an old-school Game Boy, his fingers twitching with motion as he presses the system's buttons. You see that he's wearing green, fingerless gloves, jeans, black-and-white sneakers, and some kind of blue vest with a black shirt underneath. "Gotta catch 'em all, gotta be the effin' Master," He mutters under his breath, an eerie, obsessive tone in his young voice. His getup looks strangely familiar...

As you approach, the sound of a Pikachu crying out in warning hits Alex's ears, and he can barely make out the outline of the electric mouse Pokemon, who is still hiding in shadow. The young man looks up from his game; his face startles Alex, particularly since the teen's eyes have no pupils... They are completely white, and almost seem to glow. The young man's voice reverberates through the room when he asks Alex, "Hey, man... Ever think that life is nothing but a meaningless game?"

How do you react?

Alex nevously looked around as the light blinked on. While he was sure it was just the ghost types messing around with the generator or something, it was unsettling. Whatever they were doing, it was working, he was losing courage by the second. Theta and Bronzor however were pretty much uneffected having nerves of steel to go along with every other part of their bodies. He hoped his duo would be enough to protect him, he knew he should have snagged that Throh before it got traded to someone else but as always, his timing and luck sucked.

As the lamps brightened up the room, a small wave of relief washed over Alex as he spotted another person in the room. His first thought was that it was great that he wasn't by himself, followed by a thought that the young adult needed to get an upgrade, that Gameboy was probably older than he himself was. But as the man kept staring at his game and muttering to himself, a sense of dread returned. This guy certainly wasn't normal. Just then the cry of a familiar sounding pokemon came from a unlit corner of the room, a pokemon known as the number one mascot pokemon. Right then it hit him. The guy's clothes were familiar and the Pikachu added up to the a person her should have guessed right from the start:

Master Trainer Red

The guy was a legend, or as one of his friends back home refered to him 'The Chuck Norris of the Pokemon World'. But this couldn't be him, Red would never be able to get away from his raging fangirls/boys, even before the game based on his life story came out. Alex started to move towards him to confront the copy of the pokemon master but just as he took a couple steps towards him, the guy looked up and Alex stumbled back in shock. There was no colour in his eyes. He was never one for horror movies and reading in books never gave a full picture of what it really looked like. There was no doubt this was the real thing, just some sort of copy the ghosts made up. That didn't make it any less creepy. Then the faux Red asked Alex if life was just a meaningless game.

Alex stood there stunned for a moment as his brain tried to work through the question. It was obviously some sort of test made up by the same ghost that made Mr. Fake Red, though he didn't know if passing was a good thing. Though like any self respecting nerd, when asked a question he'd have to find a way to answer it. But jeez, he pretty much asked him what is the meaning of life. Sure he's thought about the meaning of life before and again like any self respecting nerd, has watched The Matrix. But that only made thing more complicated.

"Uh, deep question there. First of all I'm probably not the best person to ask, not that I know anyone better though. Hmmm, well, if you go by the legends, they created us. They must have created us for a reason." He paused for moment to recall the stories. "Knowledge, willpower and emotion, each a part of spirit, each represented by Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit. Spirit is why we live. The three pieces are what it means to live, the understanding of knowledge, the drive of willpower, the feeling of emotion. That is why we live. To experiance and live through each throughout our lives." He paused and blinked. That was so sage-like it scared him. "As for being a game part, well it depends on what you mean by game. If you mean games as in a mean of entertainment or winning you're wrong, but how you go through it... that's where it's similar. Unexpected boosts and roadblocks, a large piece of luck and stratagy all play a part in both. In both people strive to do the best but the difference is that in real life, no one really wins, some just finish better than others. Everyone has one chance at life and must try to do the best they can at it. However life's not fair. Some people start off with a huge disadvantage, for others, the game is cut way too short but throughout we learn, we continue forward and we experiance it as best we can. Spirit is with us where ever life takes us. Much more complicated than any old game, huh?"

He was rather impressed that he said all of that especially here and to this Red clone. He would really have to remember all of that for later, it seem way too deep and important to forget. He hoped that he pulled on some heartstrings or something. All that talking must be reason enough for anything not to attack him. He looked at his two compainions and they looked back a looking just as impressed at the speech as he was. He just hoped that whoever was behind the fake Red would be just as moved and he awaited a response.

I am actually impressed about all of that. That is so going into my fanfic XD

Mantine Mania: A water-based ride with a twist, not only do you ride through what used to be the serene decorative gardens, there is a waterfall drop and even an underwater segment. Pokémon are rumoured to live in the water and the various surroundings, but if you plan on leaving the ride be wary of getting lost in the now-jungle-like gardens as it could prove to be a very dangerous trek.

"Nav?" TA said with a gulp as he looked at the huge water ride in front of him. "Remind me why we decided to come here again?"

"Treecko," Nav replied with a shudder. "Treecko, Tree."

At least TA wasn't the only one who was scared. He had come here on a dare, and wasn't particularly excited about his fun-filled amusement vacation. After striking every ride but the "Mantine Mania", mostly due to his fear of ghosts and Nav's ability to fight water types, he was left with only one option. Looking at the ride, though, he was starting to have second thoughts.

"There's no way this thing passed Fizzy Bubbles' national safety standards." TA paused. "Then again, I guess there's a reason the park got shut down. Nav, do you think this is a good idea?"

Nav gulped, but nodded. "Treecko."

"Alright then." TA took a deep breath as the trainer and Pokemon stepped towards the ride.

My fan-fic(Credit to Gelatino95 at Crazy Dragon Graphics for the userbar) Author's profile And here's an awesome RPG. It has dinosaurs!And a sprite comic, because I can't draw!

Son of Shadows: Bishop nods, his eyes starting to glow, and immediately the world around him lights up. The Hoothoot looks around, his eyes focusing on every little detail that couldn’t be seen by the naked eye. And once his vision was focused, the little owl started to freak out, squawking and squealing in fear. You grab a hold of Bishop, trying to calm him down; when your eyes glow as well. And you see what freaked Bishop out. Floating around you and your Hoothoot are what appear to be the ghosts of slain children. And they look slain, each of them is slightly transparent, their skin sagging down. And each of them bears the injuries from their deaths, a couple are holding their heads in their arms, a couple have large gaping holes in their chests and other miscellaneous injuries.

He sees us hisses a girl, her arms and legs twisted in a way that is definitely not natural.

He does hisses a boy, the top half of his body separate to the bottom half of his body.

The dead children all start to hiss their acknowledgement of you seeing them, and begin closing in on you and Bishop.

What will you do?

Bishop's Foresight took effect immediately, but he seemed genuinely disturbed by what he was now seeing. Joshua regretted his decision immensely. This may not have been a good idea. Perhaps they ought to just get out of there now. Joshua bent down to hold the owl Pokémon steady, and reassure him, but his eyes began to glow too. And now he understood why Bishop was so freaked. "Oh dear God in heaven..."

Children everywhere. Or rather, their spirits. But these spirits were badly deformed and decayed. The children from the accident that closed the park? Almost certainly. Joshua felt nauseous looking at them; some had been decapitated, others impaled, others still mangled beyond recognition. It took every ounce of willpower Joshua had not to flee or vomit. But the children knew he was seeing them, and began to circle the pair. Bishop hopped up on Joshua's head, hoping his trainer would protect him.

What do I do... Explain?

"Spirits!" he called out, not really knowing what he was doing, "I... I mean no harm by coming here. I came to this park to pay my respects to you. Please... You must believe me. I am not your enemy." He gestured to the incense sticks he'd placed at the shrine, as his token of respect.

Would they believe him? He had no idea. But he had Bishop with him, and Aegis too if it came to it. As a last resort, they could fight their way out of this. But he felt he had no choice but to throw himself on their mercy for now.

Originally Posted by scytherdude30
no no no you need an empoleon as your powerhouse da listen to me man I AM THE BOMB

Originally Posted by Zincspider

Yes, someone is getting 'killed'... HOORAY FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!....

Despite the lack of human activity in the park during its closure, it seems those from the realm of the dead are quite active in these parts. All of the popular rides remain the same as they were prior to the ghost train event, but over time they seem to have become populated by very unsavoury characters in the form of spectres, poltergeists, and even some of the more mischievous Pokémon who want to manipulate anyone brave enough to enter such a place. If you dare to venture here, you'd best have your wits about you.

Areas:Rollerquaza: The largest rollercoaster in the park, this ride is designed around the legendary Pokémon Rayquaza and its home, the Sky Pillar of the Hoenn region. The highest peak of the ride reaches, much like the Pokémon itself, high into the clouds above the fog shrouding the park. The final drop leading the rider to a darkened tunnel where people have apparently gone missing for days at a time, reporting a bizarre force as they plunged deep into the shadows.

Yeah I know the zone is capped, but in the event that a slot is opened, I'm leaving this here until then.

There's was nothing funny about Phantom Isle, at least in Balmund's mind. In truth, any one place were so many innocents had encountered nothing but death could only but be a fountain of negative energy, and in general, a place best to avoid. Besides, the dead have a very wierd and dark sense of humor, to say the least, and what was entertaining for them was probably not so much for others. Yet, that this entire island screamed of impending danger was appealing to Balmund. He definitely had every reason to be afraid, but it is said that courage is not the lack of fear but the ability to confont it, and for him, what better place was there to test his mettle? What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger, and he had every intention to make it out alive and strong.

Of all the possible rides he could test there was one which caught his immediate interest, the Rollerquaza. Rayquaza is known as the absolute lord of the skies, and is one of the great mythical dragons. For a dragon tamer like Balmund, this choice only made sense. The rollercoaster was said to reach ridiculously high into the clouds, before dropping at heart-stopping speeds into a darkened tunnel where people were said to have gone missing for days. The whys and hows behind this could only be found in one way, by trying it out oneself.

Though normaly Balmund would be accompanied by one of his strong and faithful Pokémon, this time around he decided to keep them all in the safety of their Pokéballs. Perhaps something incredibly foolish, but venturing into the darkness alone was also part of this self-imposed test. Taking a deep breath, Balmund headed into what could be the ride of his life.

uhhhhh- Lost again! Connor and Gaspard wander through the park, searching fruitlessly for an exit. The cold night air is laden with the feeling that spirits are about; though they may not physically make their presence known, whispers in the wind and inexplicable motion in dark corners of the park suggest that there is something supernatural afoot in the area. Gaspard hides inside Connor's blue jacket for warmth, seeming grateful for his trainer's warm embrace. The little Aipom refuses to be recalled, despite the haunted feeling that surrounds the pair and Connor's concern for his safety; Gaspard likely acts out of the desire to protect his trainer and remain by his side, should any danger present itself. Connor definitely passed by The House of Mirrors at least twice before. It was almost as if their situation went beyond Connor's usual lack of direction, but the result of a strange force within the park that kept drawing them back to this particular attraction.

Connor comments on the rumors that the park is now run by spectral beings, and asks a question, both impractical and strangely practical regarding how the ghosts can afford to get these rides up and running again. After all, the maintenance of a park can be incredibly expensive, and without charging admission at the door, how can these ghosts afford to pay for all the expenses? More importantly, will there be opportunities for Connor to capture some shots of some interesting ghost-type Pokemon? Only time will tell.

Stepping into the House of Mirrors, Connor and Gaspard find themselves in a mirrored corridor. At the end of the corridor, a funny-looking old man wearing a tattered grey hat and grey suspenders stands with a handful of big, colorful balloons, his eyes fixed eerily on Connor and Gaspard. Something is odd about him, and Connor and Gaspard quickly realize that while the man has a reflection, his balloons do not appear to be reflected in any of the mirrors which line the corridor... He seems to be aware of your realization, and chuckles softly. His voice is unnaturally airy and soft, almost ethereal. "A strange little trick, isn't it? The kids used to love it. Spent hours trying to figure it out, they did. The parents, too. Always popped before they could figure it out." He smiles wistfully. "Perhaps you would like to take one on your way..." His free hand gestures toward the maze of mirrors at the end of the corridors as he says this. "On the house, of course... For old time's sake." He plucks a balloon from his bouquet, which appears to be the same shade of purple as Gaspard's fur, and reaches out to Connor with it.

How will you respond?

As Connor and Gaspard entered the House of Mirrors, they were both welcomed by a long corridor of mirrors facing each other. As the duo walked into the corridor, Connor couldn't help but stop for a moment, "Pom?" Gaspard said to Connor when they stopped. The photographer was looking at one of the mirrors on the side, "You know Gaspard, this place made me think about something," he said as he looked at his own reflection, "You know how when you face two mirrors together, they reflect each other endlessly? I wonder, could those reflections be alternate realities?" Connor said to his Aipom who did not understand what he was trying to say Connor then held out his hand and touched the mirror in front of him, with his reflection doing the same. Gaspard was utterly confused at what Connor was doing but he saw that his partner had a serious expression on his face as he seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Connor then shook his head, "What am I doing? Enough stalling, let's go!" he said with a smile on his face as he proceeded to walk into the corridor...

Except he was still facing the mirror, which made him bump into it, "Ow! I think I broke my nose there..." he said as he felt his nose.

As the duo continued to walked further into the corridor, they saw an old man who was was holding balloons of all kinds of colors. As they approached him, they couldn't help but think that something seemed... off about him. "Is it just me, or does it seem like something's wrong here?" Connor asked his partner who looked utterly confused as well. It was then that they noted that the balloons he was holding did not have reflections on the mirrors beside them, "Wait a minute, those balloons... How do you do that mister?" Connor asked the old man who chuckled at his realization and then replied, "A strange little trick, isn't it? The kids used to love it. Spent hours trying to figure it out, they did. The parents, too. Always popped before they could figure it out." The old man smiled, while Connor nodded, "I've seen plenty of tricks before but this is the first time I've seen this kind of trick. Pretty impressive," Connor complimented on the old man's trick. "Perhaps you would like to take one on your way..." The old man's free hand gestures toward the maze of mirrors at the end of the corridors as he says this. "On the house, of course... For old time's sake." he continued as he picked out a purple balloon from the boquet of balloons he was holding. It had the same color as Gaspard's fur.

Gaspard somehow shivered when the old man offered the purple balloon to Connor. The little monkey felt that something did not feel right about the old man or the balloon for some reason as he clutched tightly to Connor's chest. "What's wrong Gaspard?" Connor asked his partner who then proceed to hug him tightly from his position, "Still feeling a little cold huh. It's alright, I'm here," Connor then looked up to the old man and Connor smiled at his offer and promptly took the balloon from him, "Thank you so much, mister!" Connor said as he tied the balloon on his right wrist and holds on to his camera again as he continued on into the maze.

takkupanda- A man and his loyal Pokemon walk down a beautiful country road, the wind at their back and a warm, yellow sun guiding their path. The cheerful cries of Pidgey and Taillow add a delightful sense of music to the atmosphere. Though it initially seems as though the trainer, Marcelo, and his Growlithe named Broly are in for a day of warm weather and pleasant traveling, Broly senses something off the beaten path that darkens the seemingly sunshine-filled skies. Bounding forward, Marcelo has no choice but to follow his dear friend, running as fast as he can behind him. The pair run so fast that they do not take a careful look at their surroundings, as Marcelo focuses on his Pokemon and Broly focuses on the sense which pulls him inexplicably forward... Defying all logic and reason, the pair ends up on an island; when Marcelo looks behind him, the path is inexplicably gone. There is little time to think about this strange turn of events, however, as Broly seems convinced that there is a reason that the pair has been drawn here, as if pulled unnaturally through the fabric of space itself by fate.

The fearless Growlithe bounds through the near-deserted remains of Haunted Theme Park, his determination appearing as a burning speck of life amidst the remnants of death that surround him. Marcelo, on the other hand, follows behind with a considerably more hesitant, uncertain expression. The pair travel past the metal skeletons of rides and abandoned game booths; despite their deserted appearance, as Marcelo passes by, flashes of color and motion seem to play at the corners of his eyes, never meeting his gaze directly no matter how many times he turns around. Placing a great deal of trust in his Pokemon despite the haunted feeling of his environment, he allows the Growlithe to lead him to the veritable ground zero of Phantom Isle’s persistent, powerful haunting: the Ghost Train. As the pair approaches, a heavy sense of foreboding begins to weigh on both individuals, as if unearthly hands were pressing into their chests, reaching for their hearts. The atmosphere itself seems laden with emotion; the intense sadness, the loss, the anger, the helpless shouting at Arceus, Giratina, whatever god would listen- the feelings that erupted from this site so many years ago seem to remain, corpselike, suspended in the stillness that surrounds them. That stillness is suddenly broken by an old recording echoing from long-defunct speakers, which starts up as the pair approach, as if motion-sensitive. An eerie voice advertises the attraction, sputtering and stammering: “TAKE A R-R-RIDE ON THE GHO-GHO-GHOOOST TRAIN!! KIDS OF – KIDS OF – KIDS OF ALLLLL AGES WELCOME! REMEMBER TO-“ The recording cuts off as suddenly as it began, presumably as a result of age and lack of use.

The Growlithe, Broly, approaches the tracks, undeterred by the eerie recording. The nearest station is a considerable distance away, and the infamous crash appears to be nowhere in sight. Locating a station by foot would likely take a bit of walking. Nearby, a painted sign, complete with an adorable Mantine, faces the tracks with its bright colors and eye-catching illustrations of what appears to be a former park ride. The giant, dark-blue letters across the top encourage passengers riding by to EXPERIENCE MANTINE MANIA!! The Mantine’s eyes are unnaturally shiny, and seem to be watching the pair as they investigate the tracks. Marcelo notices that the eyes are following Broly, but when the trainer gets closer to the sign to investigate, the effect seems to stop. Perhaps it’s only his nerves playing games with his mind…

Broly sniffs the ground for any signs of life or danger; immediately, his ears perk up, as he rushes towards what appears to be an interesting sound. Marcelo follows Broly down the tracks, anxious to see what his Growlithe has discovered. Eventually, Marcelo’s ears become attuned to what Broly must have heard; a soft weeping noise seems to be coming from farther down the tracks. It isn’t long after the sound becomes apparent to Marcelo that its source becomes apparent, as well; Broly stops short in front of a Pokemon sitting by the tracks. You identify the small creature as a Yamask, who appears to be staring at its mask and weeping. As you approach, you get a better glimpse of the tear-stained mask into which the Yamask is crying; the face appears to be that of a girl, no older than 6 or so, who stares back up at the Yamask with an innocent, carefree smile. The Yamask startles when she realizes that she is not alone, though after a second or so, the Yamask sniffles and reaches out cautiously towards Broly with her little, ghostly hand… It seems as if she’s hoping that the fuzzy-looking puppy might let her pet him.

How do you respond?

As Marcelo shakily followed his brave buddy Broly in the haunted amusement park, they came across the tracks of the creepy Ghost Train. The place was quiet. There was no sign of life anywhere nearby. The silence there felt disturbing and made Marcelo feel very uncomfortable.

Then, just like in a horror movie, the silence was broken by a loudspeaker welcoming the new entrants to the once popular Ghost Train in the amusement park. Marcelo's heart skipped a beat, his hair standing on their ends. At the end of the welcome was something like a warning, which was cut-off due to the poor condition that the speakers were in. Ignoring the announcement, Broly continued on his search for... God knows what... But Marcelo kept praying that it wasn't a ghost.

They continued along another of the old advertisement boards welcoming people to the Mantine Mania ride. There was something very strange about this painting. The eyes of the Mantine seemed to be following them if they did not look at it closely enough, but when they did, they looked absolutely normal! Marcelo remembered watching Scooby Doo when he was much younger.. the only happy thought he had in a while now. It made him smile and they moved on.

Broly kept sniffing the tracks for any sign of suspicion when, all of a sudden, his ears twitched and he ran in the direction of the sound, Marcelo followed with no clue whatsoever about what had been happening so far. As they got closer to the source, the sound which Broly had heard became audible to Marcelo and he also became curious. Broly stopped when he finally found the source of the sound, which was a very weird looking Pokemon which had big red eyes, black arms, and not so much of a body, but instead had another face which was more like a mask. That mask looked like the face of a little girl and the Pokemon was looking at it and crying. Marcelo hurriedly pulled out his Pokedex, which said in a crackling electronic voice:

"Yamask, the spirit Pokemon. Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry."

When the Yamask sensed someone approaching, she was alarmed and stopped crying. But when she saw the cute Puppy Pokemon, she tried to reach out for him, as if to play with him. Broly intuitively went on ahead and let her touch him. Marcelo was worried for a moment that this was a Ghost Pokemon, and that this could all be an illusion, but then he realized that she was just a little girl and it looked like she meant no harm. So, he also moved closer and crouched next to the spirit Pokemon and asked, "Hello there... is there anything wrong? We saw you crying. Umm.. can you speak human language?" It was a weird question to ask, but she had been a human before, and that would be the only way Marcelo could figure out why she was crying and try to help her...

We have a joint update this week! Tuner89, Dark Searchman and Treeko's Awesomeness, the three of you will be going separate ways after this week, but this week, the three of you will have a decision to make...

Tuner89, Dark Searchman & Treeko's Awesomeness- It seems as if there's a lot of energy at Mantine Mania today; the normally abandoned amusement park ride seems to have attracted three different trainers and their Pokemon, who will likely liven the place up a little bit. The massive amounts of energy isn't just from human beings, however; whenever more than one living being congregates in Phantom Isle, the spirits of the dead seem to follow them...

The three of you meet unexpectedly in the lobby of Mantine Mania: one, named Tuner, has brought along a mischievous Duskull named Reaper for company. The second trainer, Hyrem, is accompanied by his Ralts and Seedot. The third, known simply as TA, is followed by his Treecko. All three of you are unnerved by the Haunted Theme Park and its ominous aura; being accompanied by two other trainers and their living, breathing Pokemon somewhat alleviates these fears, as you introduce yourselves to the other two young men and their Pokemon. The lobby is dark, dingy and falling into disrepair. Aside from the three of you, no other living being seems to be around. Even so, with the little light around you, the remains of the lobby reveal the formerly innocent nature of this now corrupted, sinister area.

The three of you can gather a great deal of information from the graffiti-covered, damaged signs that surround the lobby, which advertise the ride in its glory days. Mantine Mania was certainly a popular ride before the series of events which tainted the park's wholesome, friendly attitude; after all, the adorable Mantine cars, coupled with the promise of air and sea adventures where plenty of Pokemon could be seen, photographed and even interacted with (from behind the safety glass of the Mantine car's clear top and bottom) made for an incredibly popular attraction for children and their parents alike. The size of the Mantine meant that everyone had to ride individually with only one small Pokemon to accompany them (no bigger than 2 and a half feet tall, weighing no more than 85 lbs.); children loved the independence of having their own cars, away from their parents, and if they knew how to manipulate, convince and/or tantrum enough to get their guardians to indulge them, there was even a special kiosk in the ride lobby where children could rent small Pokemon to keep them company during the ride.

The ride offered three separate experiences, all of which equally popular; one Mantine could "fly" as a means of providing an aerial perspective, which allowed children and trainers to soar above other parts of the ride and get an up-close and personal look at the flying Pokemon who roosted in the ride. The glass bottom adds to the illusion that the child or trainer is flying. The section option, "surf," provided a boat-like Mantine which would float across the water, and allowed the child or trainer to get a decent view of both land and sea, as well as some exciting, flume-like plunges for the more daring, adventurous child. Finally, the "dive" Mantine, which is like a little submarine, allowed for the best view of underwater Pokemon, which often swam right up to the submerged Mantine to say hello.

As the three of you explore the lobby and discuss which path you would most like to experience, weighing potential benefits and dangers, a light suddenly flashes on at the old kiosk where children would pick up rental companions to accompany them on Mantine Mania. As the light goes on, pictures are illuminated of adorable water and flying-type Pokemon, all of whom are in their cute, innocent pre-evolved stages. Pictures of children embracing these Pokemon, feeding them and playfully tugging at their ears and tails are plastered all over the kiosk; a few bouquets of flowers seem to have been recently placed near some of the pictures. A sadness washes over the three of you when you think that some of these children may have since passed from the terrible accident not long after their pictures were taken here. Did the rentals come with them...?

Soon after the blinding light completely shatters the darkness, a shadow appears behind the closed shades of the kiosk. The shades are pulled open by... a fin? It appears that there's a giant Mantine somehow standing upright behind the kiosk, though with no view of its legs, you have no idea how the creature is able to accomplish that. In one of its fins, a styrofoam cup of coffee is tightly held; the Mantine sips the coffee and exhales, muttering something under its breath. The Mantine then notices the three trainers in the lobby, and curls its other fun close to its mouth and coughs to get your attention (as if this whole display didn't attract your attention already). It addresses the three of you with a distinctly feminine, middle-aged voice: "I sincerely apologize for not addressing the three of you sooner. This place is so deserted, I didn't think trainers even came to Mantine Mania anymore! I thought they'd all grown out of it..." She sighs, wistfully. "The three of you seem young at heart. Come over here, won't you?"

The three of you apprehensively approach the Mantine's kiosk, unsure of her motives. She seems to be staring at your Pokemon for some length of time, before shaking her head in disapproval. "Oh, the Pokemon you have with you simply won't do. I have some wonderful companions right here-" She begins to rummage through the kiosk, before producing three Pokeballs, each with a label stuck to the top: One reads "Fly," one reads "Surf," and one reads "Dive". "You can each have one. One path, one Pokemon. You'll have to decide among yourselves who gets what- no releasing them until you get in the mechaMantine, though. Their identity is part of the surprise! Of course, you could always play Charmander-Bulbasaur-Squirtle to see who gets which Pokemon, or see who can nab it first when the others aren't looking... I'm hoping you play nice, though." The Mantine smirks. The smirk is not long-lived, however, as some dark memory seems to come over her that causes her to sigh.

"This place has... changed." The Mantine's eyes seem to darken as she says this. "It's not enough that a companion warms your heart. It must also keep you safe. I trained these little ones myself... They're... they're the only three that came back after, after... well, you know." Tears well up in the strange creature's eyes as she says this. "They don't tell you on the news, but it wasn't just the Ghost Train. Everything seemed to go wrong. Things... things changed. I cannot keep these Pokemon here anymore. It is cruel to keep them locked up in their Pokeballs. They need love as much... if not more... than they need safety. However, as I'm sure you know, nothing is free in life. I'm afraid I can't go on the Mantine ride myself... I get motion sick at the slightest thing, you know. Ironic I'd be working here, huh?" She laughs a bit, though there is a distinct sadness in the gesture. "I need to know what happened to the other rentals. You'll know them by the collars around their necks - you'll see what they look like when you call out your companions. Bring me some closure, or, even better, bring me back some missing Pokemon, and you will be allowed to keep your rental." The Mantine smiles. "I hope the three of you come back... with good news." The pause in that sentence creates a definite feel of uneasiness in the air.

"Well? Which companion will you pick?"

You must each pick a different Pokeball, which will determine your own unique path. I don't care how you decide who gets what, as long as you show me your thought process in your responses. Like Mantine said, try to play nice...

Shadowshocker- Ever since the horrific events of the Ghost Train, it seems as if a persistent chill has gripped Phantom Isle, sending shudders down the spines of those who visit. Shadow, Scherza and Dahlia are no exceptions, as they weather the frosty atmosphere in order to explore the long-since abandoned Phantom Isle Hotel. Shadow admires the opulence and beauty of the hotel's exterior, as one of the birds on his shoulders squaks away, while the other silently broods. Shadow opens the door to the Lobby cautiously, hoping that he will be prepared for whatever dangers he might face. Shadow intimately understands the risks that present themselves with every adventure, and inwardly vows to himself to do his best to keep himself and his Pokemon safe. Taking a deep breath, Shadow take his first steps into the hotel, balanced on either side by his companions.

Though the power has long since been shut off, enough natural light from the Lobby windows seeps through to give Shadow and his Pokemon a good view of the area into which they have entered. The Lobby of the Phantom Isle Hotel is a fascinating look into the history of the Isle; the Edwardian architectural themes that pervade throughout the hotel hint at a construction date in the early 1900s, and the architects certainly spared no expense at making the Phantom Isle Hotel look gorgeous. The beautiful marble floors, impressive archways, ebony chandeliers and elegantly carved walls and ceilings are astounding to behold. In contrast to the stately, historic presence of the architectural aspects of the Lobby, giant posters scattered around the Lobby advertise theme park rides in bright colors and obnoxious computer-generated font. From Rollerquaza to Mantine Mania for nearly every park ride. Off to the side, a room filled with small chairs, toys and a broken television hints at the changes the Phantom Isle Hotel had to make in later years to accomodate for the clientele attracted by the Phantom Isle Amusement Park. Signs pointing to dining rooms, arcade rooms, boutiques and more appear in every archway. Certainly, there should be plenty to explore here.

As Shadow and his bird companions walk cautiously into the lobby, one of the chandeliers above Shadow's head begins to violently shake, as if an earthquake had suddenly struck. Strangely, however, none of the other objects in the lobby seem to be reacting to the tremors. The shaking becomes so intense that the chandelier frees itself from the chain that attached it to the wall. Though Shadow and his Pokemon duck out of the way to avoid being hit by a falling chandelier, the chandelier strangely does not come crashing down; instead, it gently floats towards the ground, its candles lighting one by one of their own volition. Finally, the center light of the chandelier becomes illuminating, revealing the strange object to be a Chandelure. The Pokemon gives Shadow a wry smile and seems to bow, as if welcoming him and his Pokemon. In the soft flicker of the Chandelure's lights, Shadow can make out the vague silhouette of a person, even though he could have sworn there was no one else in the area. The ghostlike image plays in and out of Shadow's vision until it disappears entirely. Chandelure notices that Shadow has seen some sort of spectre, and chuckles a bit.

"My lights illuminate more than just darkness," says a strange voice emanating from the candle-covered Pokemon. "I am willing to light your path if you can prove that you are strong enough to face the dangers that lie ahead. If you wish to go forward, one of your Pokemon must defeat me first." The Chandelure's eyes narrow as it assumes a battle pose. "If you do not wish to accept my challenge, I suggest you turn back." The Chandelure looks tough, but will Shadow try to prove that he is tougher?

Mon1010- Scott's response to the frightened girl is to politely inform her that there is, indeed, nothing behind her. "Okay, good... Safe for now," she responds. However, she seems to completely ignore Scott when he asks her why she would ask such a question in the first place; instead, Scott finds a trembling little Gulpin being shoved into his arms. "Hold him for me, will you," the girl asks, though clearly not waiting to give Scott a choice in the matter. As if wanting to explain herself, she adds, "I lost his former owner's Pokeball, so I can't recall him. We can fix that, though..." Now that her hands are free, the girl removes her backpack from her shoulders, and starts rummaging through it. "Dammit, I knew I should've picked up some Great Balls back at headquarters..." She mutters to herself as she digs through the Pokeballs pocket of her backpack, which looks completely empty. Gulpin's trembling seems to subside somewhat in Scott's arms; perhaps the Gulpin senses something in the trainer's nature that calms him. Either way, the girl zips up her backpack and sighs, addressing the Gulpin directly. "There's not much I can do for you if you won't let yourself get caught, kiddo. I can't carry you forev-"

The sound of inhuman laughter interrupts the girl's chiding. Scott can physically feel the Gulpin shudder, as he immediately buries his face into Scott's shirt. The girl tries to gently take the Gulpin away from Scott, but Gulpin refuses to budge, clinging to Scott for dear life, perhaps hoping that the scary laughter will go away if he buries his face deep enough into Scott's chest. The poor creature appears to be shaking and crying, as evidenced from the tears that are now smearing themselves across Scott's shirt. The girl decides not to force the issue, and instead says to Scott; "Whatever you do, please protect Gulpin!" She then turns to face the noise; though visibly afraid, she takes one of the six Pokeballs off of her belt and calls out a Houndour, which she refers to as "Melanie". Melanie growls in the direction of the noise, clearly sensing something sinister about the laughter that seems to be getting steadily louder. The girl pats the Houndour lightly on the head, a concerned look on her face. She seems hesitant to let Houndour fight, but it seems as if her options are running out at this point.

Scott see the girl's pursuers in the mirrors before they actually appear. at first, the floating creatures appear to be Pokemon, but as the come closer, it becomes clear that the tattered, burned, charred and mangled objects are actually giant stuffed animals, just like the ones that used to be given out at the park as prizes to exceptionally lucky children. In fact, the giant tag that hangs from the flopped, torn ear of one of the plushies has the logo of the Theme Park emblazoned on it. The stuffed animals are drenched in blood, which mats their fur, and their button eyes appear to be glowing with some kind of unnatural force. The smaller of the two stuffed animals, which looks like a plush version of Eevee, appears to be the source of the insane laughter that alerted the trainers to the presence of these evil entities. The larger stuffed animal, made to look like a plushie version of Arcanine, keeps repeating the word "ABANDONED... ABANDONED..." over and over again in an eerie, high-pitched voice; its nearly-decapitated head lobs to the side, stuffing seeping from the "wound," as the creepy voice emanates from within its body. Melanie and her trainer stand their ground, ready to attack the creepy ghost-plushies once they get in range.

How do you react?

gmoyes- Ghost Red's blank eyes are intently fixed upon Alex as he does his best to provide a suitable answer for not only the meaning of life, but whether or not life is similar to a game. Receiving inspiration from the Lake Trio and the values they represent, Alex describes the spirit's drives for what are essentially wisdom, courage and empathy; certainly, these three aspects of the human soul are far from meaningless. In addition, Alex dives into the metaphor of life as a game with a level of depth that would make any nerd proud, and admits that while there are definitely parallels between the two, life is ultimately more complicated than any game. The sagacity of his answers not only startles Alex's Pokemon, but also Alex himself; he did not seem to realize that such wisdom lay dormant within him. Alex hopes that by providing a strong and thought-provoking response to Ghost Red's question, the spectral trainer will perhaps spare him from some sort of deadly wrath.

Ghost Red pauses for a moment, as if letting your responses sink in. In that tense moment, Alex and his Pokemon anxiously await his reaction, hoping that he will, perhaps, respect Alex's viewpoint, and maybe even help the trio out. After the long, dreadful pause, a smirk begins to play across Red's face, and he starts snorting a bit, as if holding in laughter. The glare of his pupilless eyes becomes even more unnerving as he responds to Alex's philosophizing; "Here I was thinking you had the flopping, water-logged mind of a Magikarp. Perhaps I was wrong... or perhaps, your mind is evolving right before my eyes." Ghost Red's grin slowly spreads across his face as he speaks. "You know... it's funny, the things we find ourselves saying in the face of death, in those brief, aching moments..." At this comment, Ghost Red breaks out into a full-on laugh. Through bouts of eerie, echoing laughter, he comments: "How funny we are! How deeply, how pitifully we struggle against the inevitable! And yet..." Ghost Red trails off, his laughter subsiding. He raises a hand to his mouth, tapping his chin as if considering something.

"You seek Pokemon, do you not?" For a moment, hope seems to wash over Alex and his Pokemon, as Ghost Red's posture and demeanor suggests that he seems to be considering helping the trio in their endeavors. The expression that suddenly comes across Red's face, however, erases all traces of hope; his smile becomes wider than what any human could physically produce, as his lips seem to curl around his cheeks; his eyes bulge as if about to fall out, and his teeth appear unnaturally sharp as the grin spreads... "I can help you. Ohhhh, I can help you..."

Suddenly, Red's Pikachu begins screaming horrifically from the shadows, as you watch the Pikachu's figure writhe as if in pain; its little feet begin growing and stretching, pulsating and morphing into long, human like legs. Arms burst out of Pikachu's body, with flesh and bodily fluid seeping out of the Pikachu's body as they flail helplessly. Pikachu eventually gains enough control of the arms to crawl, slowly drag itself towards Alex, its bulbous head now visible in the light. the Pikachu turns its face upward; Alex can see now that the Pikachu has no facial features, though the yellow, fur-covered, featureless face is expanding from the inside, as if something is trying to push against it and break out from underneath the surface. The face seems to split horizontally, as if a mouth was forming, and the scream that blasts from it sounds strangely like a young man's... like yours... blood splatters everywhere from the screaming, gaping wound, as something finally emerges from the gash. From the wash of blood, Alex can see his own face bursting from the Pikachu's body. The whole display paralyzes Alex with fear - or perhaps a more supernatural force roots him to the ground where he stands - either way, he is unable to order his Pokemon or perform any actions as the screaming Pikachu morphs into a near-perfect copy of Alex; of course, like Ghost Red, the one major difference is that Ghost Alex has no pupils.

Ghost Alex removes an ebony Pokeball from his belt, looking at the real Alex with a predatory glint in his eye... Activating the Pokeball, he throws it at the real Alex, screaming, "POKEBALL, GO!" A white light blinds Alex as it envelops his entire body, and a feeling like his very being is coming apart cell by cell overwhelms him; once enveloped by light, he is now a part of the light, glowing and formless. He is sucked into the Pokeball, and into utter darkness. Though he instinctively struggles against the pitch-black walls that surround him, an overwhelming sense of fatigue overcomes him, and he finds himself involunarily drifting to sleep within the terrifying confines of Ghost Red's Pokeball. A voice rings through the ominous space, strangely similar to that of Ghost Red: "On my honor as a trainer, the spirits will rest. I will personally make their beds and see that they sleep soundly, for the good of the Isle and for the good of Fizzytopia!" The roar of an excited croud applauding and cheering fades with Alex's consciousness as he falls asleep.

A distant shout eventually awakens Alex from his slumber, as the blinding light once again flashes over his eyes, and indeed, his entire being. He awakens in a pixelated world, where everything is red and white, and everything from the rock walls to the pebble sprites indicate to Alex that, somehow, he seems to have been transported into the very first Pokemon game. The exit of the mysterious cave is within a few steps of where Alex is... floating? Something definitely doesn't feel right. A pixelated version of Ghost Alex is staring at him, with a text bubble underneath saying, "Good job, ALEX! We're almost there!" Ghost Alex's sprite takes a step towards the exit, and a familiar flashing of lights and sound effect indicating a wild encounter overwhelms the cave. Suddenly, the entire environment melts into blank nothingness, as Alex and Ghost Alex come face to face with a pixelated version of Geodude, fists curled into a fighting stance. A text bubble suddenly appears in front of the pair: "A wild GEODUDE appeared!" Ghost Alex's voice rings out: "Go, ALEX!" Alex finds himself inexplicably shouting "PORYGON" and jumping into battle... From the text box that appears inexplicably beside Alex in the empty, white space, Alex can see that he is Level 12, that Ghost Alex wants him to FIGHT, and that he knows Agility, Psybeam, Tackle and Conversion. Ghost Alex has selected Agility to begin the battle. Will Alex obey the command, or will he follow his own orders?

Balmund- Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. The famous quote by Mark Twain seems especially true for Balmund at this moment, as he makes his way toward one of the most fear-inducing rides of Phantom Isle's Haunted Theme Park: Rollerquaza. Balmund certainly has plenty to fear, especially without the company of his trusted Pokemon. After all, this ride in particular is one of the few with the distinction of being frightening even before the terrifying and tragic Ghost Train incident, and those events have only made the ride that much more intimidating and fearsome. To make matters worse, the spirits who have invaded the park often pull life-threatening pranks for their own amusement. After all, to the dead, the fear of the living is incredibly amusing, and unfortunately for the brave dragon tamer, the spirits love to laugh, and will go to great lengths for entertainment. That said, Balmund reasons that what doesn't kill him makes him stronger, and decides that Rollerquaza will be an excellent test of his own bravery in the face of extreme danger. It is hard to say whether Balmund's decision to keep his Pokemon in their balls is an act of love and protection, or simply an act of intense foolishness in hopes of proving his own bravery. Perhaps it's a little of both.

As Balmund approaches the ominous thrill ride, he notices that the line is extending out the door. For a moment, he mutters to himself about the long wait, before suddenly realizing that something is not right about this whole scene; looking up again, the entire line of people has vanished. Attributing the vision to a trick of the eye, Balmund moves forward, up and down winding staircases and through mazelike rooms painted to look like a sky filled with legendaries and dragon Pokemon; it is clear that these rooms and staircases once housed terribly long lines, like the one he previously thought he had seen. Eventually, he makes his way to the end of the line, and a Rayquaza-shaped roller coaster car is waiting for him. It appears that this is car #10. Seems as if Lady Luck favors you; the car looks clean, well-kept and without any apparent mechanical flaws. Even so, it is a bit unnerving that directly above the ride, a sign reminds boarding passengers that "This is your last chance to turn back," with an arrow pointing to the exit. Considering all the events that have befallen the park, and the sinister turn the ride has taken, this sign has become even more foreboding.

At first, Balmund doesn't notice the strange being standing at the podium; however, he soon realizes that there is what appears to be a person in a giant Rayquaza costume at the control panel, staring at Balmund from behind the Rayquaza mask. Mascots, admittedly, are creepy under normal circumstances, but the presence of one here is just that much more unnerving. The strange thing about this costume is that one would assume that the silouhette of a face could be seen behind the mesh Rayquaza mouth, but it appears as if no one is inside the costume, despite the fact that it is standing upright and has the aura of being alive. Perhaps the mesh is simply too thick to see through. Either way, the Rayquaza gives Balmund a quick once-over before wordlessly giving him a thumbs up, followed by a silent point towards the ride.

If Balmund wants to turn back, or do anything before getting on the ride, this is his last chance. What will be his course of action?

uhhhhh- Gaspard is quick to sense something sinister about the balloon, which sends shivers down his little monkey spine. Though Connor is quick to comfort his Pokemon and provide extra warmth, he misses the hint that his Pokemon is giving that this balloon may be more than just a simple little parlor trick. Connor takes the purple balloon and thanks the man for the gift before tying the balloon to his wrist, grabbing his camera and moving forward. The balloon man gives Connor an eerie wink. "You are most welcome, my young friend. Enjoy." The balloon man slowly walks toward the entrance with the rest of his balloon bouquet, presumably looking to offer his wares to anyone else who may enter the mirror-filled attraction.

The maze is maddeningly difficult; deceitful reflections and dead-end pathways are everywhere, and Connor finds himself banging into mirrors far more often than he'd like. Throughout his experience, the balloon's reflection remains completely missing. Indeed, even with the balloon in Connor's possession, it is difficult to figure out how such a trick is being accomplished. Is it something to do with light? Is it the material with which the balloon is made? Was this particular funhouse designed in such a way that balloons do not reflect in the mirrors? Did they manage to fit a ghost Pokemon in there? All sorts of explanations float through Connor's head, each one more absurd and lacking in plausibility than the last. Certainly, the balloon itself was a puzzle.

Perhaps a confusing mirror-maze was not the best choice for a man who already lacks a sense of direction; the more he moves through the maze, the more lost he becomes. As Connor turns one of many corners that he has faced within this place, he finds himself face-to-face with a mirror (big surprise). However, Connor notices immediately that something is wrong with this particular reflection, especially after staring at his own reflection in various angles for some time. For some reason, Gaspard is not being reflected in this particular mirror; only Connor's reflection remains. As Connor studies the reflection to figure out what's going on, he is horrified to see his own reflection scream as the balloon appears in the reflection, the strings tied around Connor's throat, choking him. Blood drips from the strings as they progressively tighten, cutting through his throat. Bloody coughs turning into wheezes, and then nothing at all... Mirror-Connor drops to the floor, and the balloon, which has an obvious hole, appears to be draining something out of Connor through the hole before growing little button-eyes, a cottony puff on its head and tiny, yellow feet...

The vision is horrifying, and Connor immediately reaches for his neck, finding that he is not being assailed in the real world. The balloon, still tied to his wrist, appears in reality to still be a normal, everyday balloon, despite its lack of reflection. Perhaps this is one of those "parallel universes" that Connor was considering earlier in the House of Mirrors. No matter what the explanation, the vision is incredibly disturbing, and Gaspard seems even more horrified than Connor; this is his beloved trainer, after all. The two don't have very long to think about it, however, as the reflections around them show a pair of scissors flying toward Connor. Indeed, when Connor turns around, it appears that a Drifloon is flying towards Connor as fast as it can go, sharp scissors held within its yellow feet, aiming right for Connor's balloon! How does he react?

takkupanda- Marcelo, noting the Yamask's sadness, decides to ask her what's wrong and inquire as to her ability to speak human language. It seems like a reasonable thing to ask; after all, based on the description that Marcelo's Pokedex provided, this creature was once a living human being. The little Yamask does not answer right away; she seems distracted and delighted by the fact that Broly and Marcelo are willing to let her pet the puppy, and she does so awkwardly, but gently. The mask turns upward at Broly, and the mouth of the mask begins to move: "Puppy! I love you, puppy!" The Yamask's Pokemon face than lets out a small giggle. She seems quite content to be with the dog, and trusts both Broly and his trainer with a strangely childlike innocence. After spending a short time petting Broly across the head and back, the human-faced mask once again decides to speak, only this time to Marcelo.

"I can't forget stuff. I try real hard, but nope." Tears well up in the Yamask's red eyes as the mask, in contrast, speaks in a cheerful tone, with the joyful expression of the mask unchanged. "Mama Coffee helps sometimes. We all play games. You wanna see?" She points towards the faraway Mantine Mania station. "That's where I live, with the others. Oh, don't tell anyone I talked to you. Mama Coffee says we speak Yamask now." The Yamask shudders. "I don't like it. I have a face! A person face! I have a name too, but I'm not s'pos'ta say it!" The mask appears to be shouting, and though the tone and expression of the mask's voice is carefree, the Yamask face appears to be in an unreal amount of pain. The Yamask balls her fists up, seemingly overcome with rage and sadness, before she seems to calm herself by distracting herself with Broly again. "Fuzzy pup-py, fuzzy pup-py~" she sings, patting him on the head. She then says to Broly, "You and your owner need'a see where I live! Last one there's a rotten Exeggcute!" The Yamask begins floating toward the station she previously indicated as "home". Broly charges off after her, and Marcelo is forced to follow.

The trio run along the tracks for a while before coming to the Mantine Mania station. The delapidated station is completely boarded up, and the place is surrounded by an incredibly sinister aura. The giant Mantine depicted on top of the station has the same glassy-eyed look as the one in the billboard Marcelo saw earlier, and it seems to have the same eerie quality that makes Marcelo feel as if he is being watched. The Yamask shouts something in Yamask language, which emanates from the dark Pokemon head, and while Marcelo does not understand what is being said, Broly seems to get the idea that Yamask is asking a question to someone inside, and punctuates the end of Yamask's shout with a cheerful bark. In response to the two Pokemon, one of the boards comes loose, and Yamask floats toward the opening. It appears to be just large enough for Marcelo to crawl through with some effort. She makes a motion for Marcelo and Broly to follow her inside this strange and creepy-looking place. Will the two agree to follow her in, or will they take a different course of action?

myahoo: The Fortune Teller looks at you for a couple of seconds, well she more stares at you in a creepy manner, as if she was processing your request.

“So you wish to seek an adventure, and maybe a new partner?” she asked, “Well let’s see what the ball has to say.”

The Fortune Teller places her hands on the crystal ball at the centre of the table, and moves her hands around for a little bit. Suddenly she throws her head back, the tent somehow darkening. She opens here eyes, and now they are glowing dark purple.

"Your adventure is going to a long and arduous one," she announced, her voice dropping several octaves, "You will meet many pokemon on your journey, some tougher than the others. And it all starts here!"

There is a loud bang and the crystal ball explodes. Ducking for cover, you look back up and see that where the fortune teller once was, there is now a large pulsating purple portal.

What will you do?

As the silence stretched on with the Fortune Teller only staring creepily at the duo, Melissa fought the urge to fidget. She didn't want the Fortune Teller to think she was doubting the woman's powers, but, then again, it was taking her a long time to respond to (what Melissa thought) was a relatively simple request. The teen found her attention starting to wander, replacing Wildfire on her left shoulder where he proceeded to shift impatiently, but they both snapped their attention back towards the Fortune Teller when she began speaking.

"So you wish to seek an adventure, and maybe a new partner?" the Fortune Teller finally asked. "Well, let's see what the crystal ball has to say."

Melissa instantly felt curiosity and skepticism once the Fortune Teller mentioned the crystal ball. After all, the lady did have a pretty strong reputation about her powers, but the line about the crystal ball was, just, so...cliche. Nevertheless, the brunette couldn't help eagerly leaning forward to watch as the Fortune Teller began moving her hands around the crystal ball.

"Eep!" The girl yelped and stumbled back a few steps at the woman's sudden movement, heart racing as she vaguely registered the tightened grip and crackling flame emanating from her startled Cyndaquil. Somehow, the tent seemed darker than it had been a second ago and Melissa shrank back a little, seeking reassurance from the little fire mouse on her shoulder. The Fortune Teller's eyes opened and they glowed a dark purple; when she speaks again, her voice was much deeper than before.

"Your adventure is going to be a long and arduous one," the lady announced, and Melissa felt herself growing apprehensive. "You will meet many Pokemon on your journey, some tougher than the others. And it all starts here."

With the fortune told, the crystal ball exploded with a loud bang and Melissa ducked, Wildfire clutching her shoulder and making sure none of the shards of glass got too close. As the debris settled and her ears stopped ringing, the teen cautiously started looking around. The Fortune Teller had disappeared, along with her crystal ball, but a pulsating purple portal remained. Still slightly shocked by the explosion, Melissa took a moment to try to calm down, taking a seat on the floor (once she made sure it was clear) and staring at the weird purple portal. Her Cyndaquil leaped onto the floor in front of her and sat down, keeping one eye on the portal and one on her.

After a few moments of silence, Melissa spoke, "Well, that was...interesting. Do you suppose she meant only this adventure or all of my adventures?"

Wildfire shrugged, extinguishing his fire once he was sure nothing else would come at them at the moment. "Qui-il, quil quil."

"Yeah, I dunno either." She eyed the portal warily for another few moments. "D'you think we should go through that?"

The little fire mouse tilted his head to the side, examining the portal himself, before he looked back at his trainer, giving no indication whether he wanted to enter.

Said trainer groaned. "Alright, alright. Gimme a moment to calm down a little more, and, then, we'll go see what that portal'll do."

Gathering her courage, Melissa climbed back to her feet, picking up and placing Wildfire back on her left shoulder, and cautiously approached the portal. She glanced at her Cyndaquil once more for reassurance, before stepping through.

We have a joint update this week! Tuner89, Dark Searchman and Treeko's Awesomeness, the three of you will be going separate ways after this week, but this week, the three of you will have a decision to make...

Tuner89, Dark Searchman & Treeko's Awesomeness- It seems as if there's a lot of energy at Mantine Mania today; the normally abandoned amusement park ride seems to have attracted three different trainers and their Pokemon, who will likely liven the place up a little bit. The massive amounts of energy isn't just from human beings, however; whenever more than one living being congregates in Phantom Isle, the spirits of the dead seem to follow them...

The three of you meet unexpectedly in the lobby of Mantine Mania: one, named Tuner, has brought along a mischievous Duskull named Reaper for company. The second trainer, Hyrem, is accompanied by his Ralts and Seedot. The third, known simply as TA, is followed by his Treecko. All three of you are unnerved by the Haunted Theme Park and its ominous aura; being accompanied by two other trainers and their living, breathing Pokemon somewhat alleviates these fears, as you introduce yourselves to the other two young men and their Pokemon. The lobby is dark, dingy and falling into disrepair. Aside from the three of you, no other living being seems to be around. Even so, with the little light around you, the remains of the lobby reveal the formerly innocent nature of this now corrupted, sinister area.

The three of you can gather a great deal of information from the graffiti-covered, damaged signs that surround the lobby, which advertise the ride in its glory days. Mantine Mania was certainly a popular ride before the series of events which tainted the park's wholesome, friendly attitude; after all, the adorable Mantine cars, coupled with the promise of air and sea adventures where plenty of Pokemon could be seen, photographed and even interacted with (from behind the safety glass of the Mantine car's clear top and bottom) made for an incredibly popular attraction for children and their parents alike. The size of the Mantine meant that everyone had to ride individually with only one small Pokemon to accompany them (no bigger than 2 and a half feet tall, weighing no more than 85 lbs.); children loved the independence of having their own cars, away from their parents, and if they knew how to manipulate, convince and/or tantrum enough to get their guardians to indulge them, there was even a special kiosk in the ride lobby where children could rent small Pokemon to keep them company during the ride.

The ride offered three separate experiences, all of which equally popular; one Mantine could "fly" as a means of providing an aerial perspective, which allowed children and trainers to soar above other parts of the ride and get an up-close and personal look at the flying Pokemon who roosted in the ride. The glass bottom adds to the illusion that the child or trainer is flying. The section option, "surf," provided a boat-like Mantine which would float across the water, and allowed the child or trainer to get a decent view of both land and sea, as well as some exciting, flume-like plunges for the more daring, adventurous child. Finally, the "dive" Mantine, which is like a little submarine, allowed for the best view of underwater Pokemon, which often swam right up to the submerged Mantine to say hello.

As the three of you explore the lobby and discuss which path you would most like to experience, weighing potential benefits and dangers, a light suddenly flashes on at the old kiosk where children would pick up rental companions to accompany them on Mantine Mania. As the light goes on, pictures are illuminated of adorable water and flying-type Pokemon, all of whom are in their cute, innocent pre-evolved stages. Pictures of children embracing these Pokemon, feeding them and playfully tugging at their ears and tails are plastered all over the kiosk; a few bouquets of flowers seem to have been recently placed near some of the pictures. A sadness washes over the three of you when you think that some of these children may have since passed from the terrible accident not long after their pictures were taken here. Did the rentals come with them...?

Soon after the blinding light completely shatters the darkness, a shadow appears behind the closed shades of the kiosk. The shades are pulled open by... a fin? It appears that there's a giant Mantine somehow standing upright behind the kiosk, though with no view of its legs, you have no idea how the creature is able to accomplish that. In one of its fins, a styrofoam cup of coffee is tightly held; the Mantine sips the coffee and exhales, muttering something under its breath. The Mantine then notices the three trainers in the lobby, and curls its other fun close to its mouth and coughs to get your attention (as if this whole display didn't attract your attention already). It addresses the three of you with a distinctly feminine, middle-aged voice: "I sincerely apologize for not addressing the three of you sooner. This place is so deserted, I didn't think trainers even came to Mantine Mania anymore! I thought they'd all grown out of it..." She sighs, wistfully. "The three of you seem young at heart. Come over here, won't you?"

The three of you apprehensively approach the Mantine's kiosk, unsure of her motives. She seems to be staring at your Pokemon for some length of time, before shaking her head in disapproval. "Oh, the Pokemon you have with you simply won't do. I have some wonderful companions right here-" She begins to rummage through the kiosk, before producing three Pokeballs, each with a label stuck to the top: One reads "Fly," one reads "Surf," and one reads "Dive". "You can each have one. One path, one Pokemon. You'll have to decide among yourselves who gets what- no releasing them until you get in the mechaMantine, though. Their identity is part of the surprise! Of course, you could always play Charmander-Bulbasaur-Squirtle to see who gets which Pokemon, or see who can nab it first when the others aren't looking... I'm hoping you play nice, though." The Mantine smirks. The smirk is not long-lived, however, as some dark memory seems to come over her that causes her to sigh.

"This place has... changed." The Mantine's eyes seem to darken as she says this. "It's not enough that a companion warms your heart. It must also keep you safe. I trained these little ones myself... They're... they're the only three that came back after, after... well, you know." Tears well up in the strange creature's eyes as she says this. "They don't tell you on the news, but it wasn't just the Ghost Train. Everything seemed to go wrong. Things... things changed. I cannot keep these Pokemon here anymore. It is cruel to keep them locked up in their Pokeballs. They need love as much... if not more... than they need safety. However, as I'm sure you know, nothing is free in life. I'm afraid I can't go on the Mantine ride myself... I get motion sick at the slightest thing, you know. Ironic I'd be working here, huh?" She laughs a bit, though there is a distinct sadness in the gesture. "I need to know what happened to the other rentals. You'll know them by the collars around their necks - you'll see what they look like when you call out your companions. Bring me some closure, or, even better, bring me back some missing Pokemon, and you will be allowed to keep your rental." The Mantine smiles. "I hope the three of you come back... with good news." The pause in that sentence creates a definite feel of uneasiness in the air.

"Well? Which companion will you pick?"

You must each pick a different Pokeball, which will determine your own unique path. I don't care how you decide who gets what, as long as you show me your thought process in your responses. Like Mantine said, try to play nice...

TA gulped. A talking Mantine? What the heck was going on? He looked at Nav for reassurance. Receiving a nod from the Treecko, he decided to move ahead with the plan. If he chose surf or dive, he'd likely face water Pokemon, which Nav would have an advantage against. If he chose flying, though, he would be able to keep Nav out of his Pokeball, and his attacks would face less resistance from the air than from the water. Nav would be at a disadvantage towards the Pokemon there, but unless he was fighting a Skarmory, Nav's normal type moves could handle them where his grass moves couldn't. Maybe using only two types wasn't such a great idea after all. He'd have whatever flying Pokemon he got too, though, so that could help. A Surfing or Diving Pokemon would probably be a water type, though, so it would have a resistance against water attacks. Maybe he was over-thinking this.

"What do you think, Nav?"

The Treecko shrugged, and went back to playing with his Miracle Seed.

"Do you always have to do that?" TA asked. "You've got to be the most indecisive Pokemon I know." As he said this, however, he noticed that Tuner and Hyrem had already come to a decision.

We have a joint update this week! Tuner89, Dark Searchman and Treeko's Awesomeness, the three of you will be going separate ways after this week, but this week, the three of you will have a decision to make...

Tuner89, Dark Searchman & Treeko's Awesomeness- It seems as if there's a lot of energy at Mantine Mania today; the normally abandoned amusement park ride seems to have attracted three different trainers and their Pokemon, who will likely liven the place up a little bit. The massive amounts of energy isn't just from human beings, however; whenever more than one living being congregates in Phantom Isle, the spirits of the dead seem to follow them...

The three of you meet unexpectedly in the lobby of Mantine Mania: one, named Tuner, has brought along a mischievous Duskull named Reaper for company. The second trainer, Hyrem, is accompanied by his Ralts and Seedot. The third, known simply as TA, is followed by his Treecko. All three of you are unnerved by the Haunted Theme Park and its ominous aura; being accompanied by two other trainers and their living, breathing Pokemon somewhat alleviates these fears, as you introduce yourselves to the other two young men and their Pokemon. The lobby is dark, dingy and falling into disrepair. Aside from the three of you, no other living being seems to be around. Even so, with the little light around you, the remains of the lobby reveal the formerly innocent nature of this now corrupted, sinister area.

The three of you can gather a great deal of information from the graffiti-covered, damaged signs that surround the lobby, which advertise the ride in its glory days. Mantine Mania was certainly a popular ride before the series of events which tainted the park's wholesome, friendly attitude; after all, the adorable Mantine cars, coupled with the promise of air and sea adventures where plenty of Pokemon could be seen, photographed and even interacted with (from behind the safety glass of the Mantine car's clear top and bottom) made for an incredibly popular attraction for children and their parents alike. The size of the Mantine meant that everyone had to ride individually with only one small Pokemon to accompany them (no bigger than 2 and a half feet tall, weighing no more than 85 lbs.); children loved the independence of having their own cars, away from their parents, and if they knew how to manipulate, convince and/or tantrum enough to get their guardians to indulge them, there was even a special kiosk in the ride lobby where children could rent small Pokemon to keep them company during the ride.

The ride offered three separate experiences, all of which equally popular; one Mantine could "fly" as a means of providing an aerial perspective, which allowed children and trainers to soar above other parts of the ride and get an up-close and personal look at the flying Pokemon who roosted in the ride. The glass bottom adds to the illusion that the child or trainer is flying. The section option, "surf," provided a boat-like Mantine which would float across the water, and allowed the child or trainer to get a decent view of both land and sea, as well as some exciting, flume-like plunges for the more daring, adventurous child. Finally, the "dive" Mantine, which is like a little submarine, allowed for the best view of underwater Pokemon, which often swam right up to the submerged Mantine to say hello.

As the three of you explore the lobby and discuss which path you would most like to experience, weighing potential benefits and dangers, a light suddenly flashes on at the old kiosk where children would pick up rental companions to accompany them on Mantine Mania. As the light goes on, pictures are illuminated of adorable water and flying-type Pokemon, all of whom are in their cute, innocent pre-evolved stages. Pictures of children embracing these Pokemon, feeding them and playfully tugging at their ears and tails are plastered all over the kiosk; a few bouquets of flowers seem to have been recently placed near some of the pictures. A sadness washes over the three of you when you think that some of these children may have since passed from the terrible accident not long after their pictures were taken here. Did the rentals come with them...?

Soon after the blinding light completely shatters the darkness, a shadow appears behind the closed shades of the kiosk. The shades are pulled open by... a fin? It appears that there's a giant Mantine somehow standing upright behind the kiosk, though with no view of its legs, you have no idea how the creature is able to accomplish that. In one of its fins, a styrofoam cup of coffee is tightly held; the Mantine sips the coffee and exhales, muttering something under its breath. The Mantine then notices the three trainers in the lobby, and curls its other fun close to its mouth and coughs to get your attention (as if this whole display didn't attract your attention already). It addresses the three of you with a distinctly feminine, middle-aged voice: "I sincerely apologize for not addressing the three of you sooner. This place is so deserted, I didn't think trainers even came to Mantine Mania anymore! I thought they'd all grown out of it..." She sighs, wistfully. "The three of you seem young at heart. Come over here, won't you?"

The three of you apprehensively approach the Mantine's kiosk, unsure of her motives. She seems to be staring at your Pokemon for some length of time, before shaking her head in disapproval. "Oh, the Pokemon you have with you simply won't do. I have some wonderful companions right here-" She begins to rummage through the kiosk, before producing three Pokeballs, each with a label stuck to the top: One reads "Fly," one reads "Surf," and one reads "Dive". "You can each have one. One path, one Pokemon. You'll have to decide among yourselves who gets what- no releasing them until you get in the mechaMantine, though. Their identity is part of the surprise! Of course, you could always play Charmander-Bulbasaur-Squirtle to see who gets which Pokemon, or see who can nab it first when the others aren't looking... I'm hoping you play nice, though." The Mantine smirks. The smirk is not long-lived, however, as some dark memory seems to come over her that causes her to sigh.

"This place has... changed." The Mantine's eyes seem to darken as she says this. "It's not enough that a companion warms your heart. It must also keep you safe. I trained these little ones myself... They're... they're the only three that came back after, after... well, you know." Tears well up in the strange creature's eyes as she says this. "They don't tell you on the news, but it wasn't just the Ghost Train. Everything seemed to go wrong. Things... things changed. I cannot keep these Pokemon here anymore. It is cruel to keep them locked up in their Pokeballs. They need love as much... if not more... than they need safety. However, as I'm sure you know, nothing is free in life. I'm afraid I can't go on the Mantine ride myself... I get motion sick at the slightest thing, you know. Ironic I'd be working here, huh?" She laughs a bit, though there is a distinct sadness in the gesture. "I need to know what happened to the other rentals. You'll know them by the collars around their necks - you'll see what they look like when you call out your companions. Bring me some closure, or, even better, bring me back some missing Pokemon, and you will be allowed to keep your rental." The Mantine smiles. "I hope the three of you come back... with good news." The pause in that sentence creates a definite feel of uneasiness in the air.

"Well? Which companion will you pick?"

You must each pick a different Pokeball, which will determine your own unique path. I don't care how you decide who gets what, as long as you show me your thought process in your responses. Like Mantine said, try to play nice...

Walking in with his newfound companions TA and Hyrem, Tuner began feeling uneasy.
"Stop screwing around, Reaper!"
"Skull?" Reaper innocently flew right by Tuner's side. He was certainly not responsible for any shenanigans this time.
"Oh... Sorry buddy, I guess i'm just not feeling this place..."
Entering the lobby and looking around, all the pictures of children having fun and playing with the pokemon on the ride suddenly made Tuner feel even worse. 'None of these kids who were playing at the time of the Ghost Train probably made it alive... They're all dead...' As Tuner thought this, the face on one particular child suddenly grew larger, and his tongue stuck out! Tuner jumped back and looked around his companion to help him, but Reaper was no where to be found! The demonic child's face eventually left its body, and Reaper was revealed as the culprit, laughing heartily at his own work.
"Reaper, stop! There's enough scariness here without you muddling things up! Just stay out of trouble!"
Just as these words were spoken, there was a bright light. Moments later, a Mantine appeared before the trio. She seemed to have appeared out of the shadows, without explanation. Tuner quickly had to turn around and confirm Reaper was not behind this. Satisfied, he looked back at the Mantine with disbelief. Mantine explained her plight to the group, and her desire to be reunited with her old rental pokemon, and offered to let us take one to guide us... Fly, Surf, or Dive.

Tuner looked to Reaper for a moment, hoping to find an answer as to which pokemon to select. Reaper simply stared back with his single eye, with a bewildered face, it seems even the ghost pokemon was clueless as to the situation at hand. Sighing, Tuner decided he wanted to take the Surf pokemon, figuring it best to keep his bearing. In air or underwater he'd be completely dependent on this new pokemon, and Tuner wasn't exactly sure that was faith he wanted to immediately invest.

"I'd like to go for 'Surf,'" piped up Hyrem quickly.
"I wanted Surf as well. Really, I'll take whatever you guys don't want. Though I suppose I'd prefer fly over dive." Tuner seemed disappointed, but began weighing the benefits of Fly. He thought of his other pokemon which could aid him on that journey, but ultimately he would rather take the Surfing pokemon. It seemed right."
"I could take Dive instead?" Hyrem's words seemed to seal the fate all three. With a shrug from TA, the order was set. Tuner walked up to the Mantine, and picked up the ball designated 'Surf'.
"I don't want you wandering too far, Reaper. I don't have a good feeling about this place, or these pokemon. Try to stay out of trouble, and out of sight if it comes to it."
"Skull." And with that reply, Tuner set out to his designated portion of the Mantine Mania, ready to fulfill the quest given to him and two others by the Mantine attendant.

We have a joint update this week! Tuner89, Dark Searchman and Treeko's Awesomeness, the three of you will be going separate ways after this week, but this week, the three of you will have a decision to make...

Tuner89, Dark Searchman & Treeko's Awesomeness- It seems as if there's a lot of energy at Mantine Mania today; the normally abandoned amusement park ride seems to have attracted three different trainers and their Pokemon, who will likely liven the place up a little bit. The massive amounts of energy isn't just from human beings, however; whenever more than one living being congregates in Phantom Isle, the spirits of the dead seem to follow them...

The three of you meet unexpectedly in the lobby of Mantine Mania: one, named Tuner, has brought along a mischievous Duskull named Reaper for company. The second trainer, Hyrem, is accompanied by his Ralts and Seedot. The third, known simply as TA, is followed by his Treecko. All three of you are unnerved by the Haunted Theme Park and its ominous aura; being accompanied by two other trainers and their living, breathing Pokemon somewhat alleviates these fears, as you introduce yourselves to the other two young men and their Pokemon. The lobby is dark, dingy and falling into disrepair. Aside from the three of you, no other living being seems to be around. Even so, with the little light around you, the remains of the lobby reveal the formerly innocent nature of this now corrupted, sinister area.

The three of you can gather a great deal of information from the graffiti-covered, damaged signs that surround the lobby, which advertise the ride in its glory days. Mantine Mania was certainly a popular ride before the series of events which tainted the park's wholesome, friendly attitude; after all, the adorable Mantine cars, coupled with the promise of air and sea adventures where plenty of Pokemon could be seen, photographed and even interacted with (from behind the safety glass of the Mantine car's clear top and bottom) made for an incredibly popular attraction for children and their parents alike. The size of the Mantine meant that everyone had to ride individually with only one small Pokemon to accompany them (no bigger than 2 and a half feet tall, weighing no more than 85 lbs.); children loved the independence of having their own cars, away from their parents, and if they knew how to manipulate, convince and/or tantrum enough to get their guardians to indulge them, there was even a special kiosk in the ride lobby where children could rent small Pokemon to keep them company during the ride.

The ride offered three separate experiences, all of which equally popular; one Mantine could "fly" as a means of providing an aerial perspective, which allowed children and trainers to soar above other parts of the ride and get an up-close and personal look at the flying Pokemon who roosted in the ride. The glass bottom adds to the illusion that the child or trainer is flying. The section option, "surf," provided a boat-like Mantine which would float across the water, and allowed the child or trainer to get a decent view of both land and sea, as well as some exciting, flume-like plunges for the more daring, adventurous child. Finally, the "dive" Mantine, which is like a little submarine, allowed for the best view of underwater Pokemon, which often swam right up to the submerged Mantine to say hello.

As the three of you explore the lobby and discuss which path you would most like to experience, weighing potential benefits and dangers, a light suddenly flashes on at the old kiosk where children would pick up rental companions to accompany them on Mantine Mania. As the light goes on, pictures are illuminated of adorable water and flying-type Pokemon, all of whom are in their cute, innocent pre-evolved stages. Pictures of children embracing these Pokemon, feeding them and playfully tugging at their ears and tails are plastered all over the kiosk; a few bouquets of flowers seem to have been recently placed near some of the pictures. A sadness washes over the three of you when you think that some of these children may have since passed from the terrible accident not long after their pictures were taken here. Did the rentals come with them...?

Soon after the blinding light completely shatters the darkness, a shadow appears behind the closed shades of the kiosk. The shades are pulled open by... a fin? It appears that there's a giant Mantine somehow standing upright behind the kiosk, though with no view of its legs, you have no idea how the creature is able to accomplish that. In one of its fins, a styrofoam cup of coffee is tightly held; the Mantine sips the coffee and exhales, muttering something under its breath. The Mantine then notices the three trainers in the lobby, and curls its other fun close to its mouth and coughs to get your attention (as if this whole display didn't attract your attention already). It addresses the three of you with a distinctly feminine, middle-aged voice: "I sincerely apologize for not addressing the three of you sooner. This place is so deserted, I didn't think trainers even came to Mantine Mania anymore! I thought they'd all grown out of it..." She sighs, wistfully. "The three of you seem young at heart. Come over here, won't you?"

The three of you apprehensively approach the Mantine's kiosk, unsure of her motives. She seems to be staring at your Pokemon for some length of time, before shaking her head in disapproval. "Oh, the Pokemon you have with you simply won't do. I have some wonderful companions right here-" She begins to rummage through the kiosk, before producing three Pokeballs, each with a label stuck to the top: One reads "Fly," one reads "Surf," and one reads "Dive". "You can each have one. One path, one Pokemon. You'll have to decide among yourselves who gets what- no releasing them until you get in the mechaMantine, though. Their identity is part of the surprise! Of course, you could always play Charmander-Bulbasaur-Squirtle to see who gets which Pokemon, or see who can nab it first when the others aren't looking... I'm hoping you play nice, though." The Mantine smirks. The smirk is not long-lived, however, as some dark memory seems to come over her that causes her to sigh.

"This place has... changed." The Mantine's eyes seem to darken as she says this. "It's not enough that a companion warms your heart. It must also keep you safe. I trained these little ones myself... They're... they're the only three that came back after, after... well, you know." Tears well up in the strange creature's eyes as she says this. "They don't tell you on the news, but it wasn't just the Ghost Train. Everything seemed to go wrong. Things... things changed. I cannot keep these Pokemon here anymore. It is cruel to keep them locked up in their Pokeballs. They need love as much... if not more... than they need safety. However, as I'm sure you know, nothing is free in life. I'm afraid I can't go on the Mantine ride myself... I get motion sick at the slightest thing, you know. Ironic I'd be working here, huh?" She laughs a bit, though there is a distinct sadness in the gesture. "I need to know what happened to the other rentals. You'll know them by the collars around their necks - you'll see what they look like when you call out your companions. Bring me some closure, or, even better, bring me back some missing Pokemon, and you will be allowed to keep your rental." The Mantine smiles. "I hope the three of you come back... with good news." The pause in that sentence creates a definite feel of uneasiness in the air.

"Well? Which companion will you pick?"

You must each pick a different Pokeball, which will determine your own unique path. I don't care how you decide who gets what, as long as you show me your thought process in your responses. Like Mantine said, try to play nice...

{I may have taken some liberties with my reply when interacting with the other trainers and their Pokemon. I hope you don't mind, and if you do, I apologize in advance.}

Hyrem, Sera, and Daphne enter the attraction to find another kid who introduced himself as Tuner. He, at least, looked very much alive, but the Pokemon next to him was definitely a Ghost, as detailed by Hyrem's Pokedex:

Duskull, the Requiem Pokemon. It can pass through any wall with ease. Once it chooses a target, it will ruthlessly pursue the victim until daybreak. It is confirmed they will scare misbehaving children to make them cry, but they have been rumored to spirit children away when scaring them fails.

"Yeesh, I'd rather not be on the wrong end of that," remarked Hyrem, but Tuner assured him that while his Duskull, Reaper, will pull pranks at times, he is loyal to his friends. Sera could relate somewhat, as far as Daphne was concerned and put herself between Reaper and Daphne so there wouldn't be any chance of them getting together to plot some sort of nasty prank to pull.

Then from behind Hyrem came yet another boy that looked younger than him. He called himself T.A. and Hyrem's Pokedex helped to introduce the Pokemon on his shoulder:

Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokemon. Small hooks on its feet allow it to climb walls and ceilings. It can predict the weather by using its tail to sense the humidity around it. Treecko live in trees and will bravely and fiercely defend their territory from even foes bigger than themselves.

"Wow, really cool Pokemon you have there, T.A. It'd be nice if I could have a Treecko someday." The complement was definitely well received by his Treecko, Navi. Being a fellow Grass-type, Daphne expressed affinity towards Navi, and she was glad she wasn't the only one interested in the foliage around here.

Having more company than just two Pokemon, Hyrem certainly felt a little calmer inside this spooky amusement park. Furthermore, Reaper, while mischievous, was at least a valuable ally should they deal with spirits of the dead in the near future. So, having sufficiently introduced themselves to each other, the three trainers decide to take in their surroundings. The lobby was falling apart, and it was very dark; the small amount of light they had only served to illuminate the glory days of Mantine Mania and the darkness that had befallen it since then.

The information signs covered in graffiti told them about how things... used to work around here. It was definitely popular for kids as it allowed them to ride with one small Pokemon rented out to them at the kiosk, and in the three rides labeled "Fly", "Surf", and "Dive" they were able to see and interact with all sorts of Pokemon. That'd be fun for any kid! At least, it would be back in the day.

Now, the pictures on the just lighted kiosk and the fresh flowers next to them served as a grim reminder of what may have happened to these innocent children and possibly a few Pokemon too... While Hyrem and the other trainers were in their thoughts, a giant Mantine "walked" out from behind the curtain; this was presumably the mascot for the ride as no Mantine could stand upright and drink coffee. The mascot spoke with a middle-aged woman's voice, "I sincerely apologize for not addressing the three of you sooner. This place is so deserted, I didn't think trainers even came to Mantine Mania anymore! I thought they'd all grown out of it..." A sigh came from her as she beckoned, "The three of you seem young at heart. Come over here, won't you?"

Hyrem was hesitant in approaching the kiosk and this strange mascot. Great, what could she be up to? he thought. Could this be a ghost? Didn't look like it; otherwise he'd be able to see right through her... right? He wasn't the only hesitant trainer; all three of them were slow in their approach, none of them with any idea of her intentions. Meanwhile, the mascot stared not at the trainers but at their Pokemon and was not satisfied with what she was seeing. "Oh, the Pokemon you have with you simply won't do. I have some wonderful companions right here-" She took out three Pokeballs from the kiosk, each of them appropriately labeled "Fly", "Surf", and "Dive". "You can each have one. One path, one Pokemon. You'll have to decide among yourselves who gets what- no releasing them until you get in the mechaMantine, though. Their identity is part of the surprise! Of course, you could always play Charmander-Bulbasaur-Squirtle to see who gets which Pokemon, or see who can nab it first when the others aren't looking... I'm hoping you play nice, though." The Mantine mascot smiles for a bit, then sighs in a sort of despair as her mood darkens.

"This place has... changed. It's not enough that a companion warms your heart. It must also keep you safe. I trained these little ones myself... They're... they're the only three that came back after, after... well, you know." She starts to cry, her voice breaking as she continued to speak. "They don't tell you on the news, but it wasn't just the Ghost Train. Everything seemed to go wrong. Things... things changed. I cannot keep these Pokemon here anymore. It is cruel to keep them locked up in their Pokeballs. They need love as much... if not more... than they need safety. However, as I'm sure you know, nothing is free in life. I'm afraid I can't go on the Mantine ride myself... I get motion sick at the slightest thing, you know. Ironic I'd be working here, huh?" Her little chuckle only served to darken the mood even further. "I need to know what happened to the other rentals. You'll know them by the collars around their necks - you'll see what they look like when you call out your companions. Bring me some closure, or, even better, bring me back some missing Pokemon, and you will be allowed to keep your rental." The Mantine smiles. "I hope the three of you come back... with good news."

This was exactly what Hyrem came for: it wasn't just adventure he was seeking here, he wanted to help someone in need and hopefully make a new friend out of it. Here was an opportunity to not only help a Pokemon get some exercise but possibly save a few lost Pokemon... or at least discover what had happened to them, and ultimately be able to take the new partner with him on his journey, and he couldn't ask for anything better. "Ma'am," he replied, "it's an honor for me to help."

He then turned to his companions. "Sorry guys, I can't take you with me on this one. I've gotta do this by myself. You two'll be safer in your Pokeballs." Both Sera and Daphne protested, though for two different reasons. "Aw, Daphne, I know you wanted to check out the plants here, but I can let you look at them when I'm done here, kay?" Daphne looked ready to hold him to that promise. "All right, now in you go!" When Daphne finished disappearing inside her Pokeball, he turned to his Ralts. "You too, Sera. I want you out of all my Pokemon to be safe." Ralts continued to protest, alternating between green and orange being transmitted to Hyrem's mind, telling him she felt it was too risky. "Sera, there's nothing changing my mind this time." She still wasn't convinced. "Listen, when I'm done here, I'll still be the person to let you come out again. Also, you and Daphne will be able to meet our new friend!" After a few seconds, she put red into Hyrem's mind but nodded, staring straight at Hyrem while she returned to her Pokeball, as if telling him to be careful.

"Well? Which companion will you pick?" the mascot asked.

Yes, it was time for Hyrem to choose. Fly would allow him to meet all kinds of Flying Pokemon for sure, but Dive would give him the chance at Water Pokemon. Then again, all sorts of Pokemon could use Surf; after all, his Druddigon, Sarkhan, was able to use Surf... maybe he'd get another Dragon?

"I'd like to go for Surf," Hyrem said finally.
"I wanted Surf as well," said Tuner, a bit disappointed. "Really, I'll take whatever you guys don't want. Though I suppose I'd prefer Fly over Dive."
"I'll take what you guys don't want too," added T.A.

Then a thought occurred to Hyrem. Surf had the attraction of some flume-like plunges for the more daring kids. Nowadays... well, he'd rather not run the risk of being hurled straight to his doom. Same went for Fly, really; Hyrem never was much for heights, and even though he hadn't developed acrophobia, he was sure he'd get it from Fly. Dive didn't sound too bad... a nice, relaxing submarine ride, what could possibly come out of that?

"I could take Dive instead..." he said as he changed his mind in favor of giving the thrill ride to Tuner. And from there it was decided: T.A. would take the Fly ride, Tuner got the Surf ride he desired, and Hyrem was ready for the Dive ride. As the three trainers took their respective Pokeballs, wished each other good luck, and walked over to their chosen rides, Hyrem was excited about meeting what could be the very first Water Pokemon on his team, though a non-Water type could certainly appear from the Pokeball he was holding.